London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A box of Christmas cards addressed to an MP sparked a security alert at Westminster, prompting a brief lockdown and the use of a bomb disposal robot.
As reported by Tom McArdle of The Telegraph, a suspicious package found outside the Houses of Parliament prompted a bomb squad response before being identified as a Christmas parcel addressed to a Labour minister.
When was the suspicious package found outside Westminster?
On a busy pre-Christmas morning, Westminster commuters were stopped from accessing Parliament Square after police cordoned off the area over a suspicious package.
Before 7:30 am, authorities closed down Parliament Square and Millbank, deploying a bomb squad to examine the suspicious item.
The cordon lifted shortly after inspection (around 8:15-8:30 AM), with no controlled explosion needed (despite initial rumors). Metropolitan Police confirmed the item was non-suspicious, and the incident was stood down.
Further investigation revealed the package contained unsent Christmas cards addressed to the government’s Communities Minister, Miatta Fahnbulleh.
A detailed examination determined that the box contained a collection of Christmas cards, each addressed to the Communities Minister.
The majority of the cards were packed in a box labeled “most urgent,” reflecting the approaching parliamentary recess at the end of the session.
Parliamentary security and the Metropolitan Police are likely to feature prominently on Ms Fahnbulleh’s Christmas card list, with reports indicating that the minister had expected a delivery that never arrived.
The witness said,
“It didn’t look particularly threatening and, once the robot had gone in, we were back on the green after about 45 minutes.”
They added,
“We were told at first that we could go round the corner, but after a while we were asked to move further away.”
What recent suspicious packages have been found near Parliament?
In February 2025, police shut down the area around Victoria Tower Gardens in Westminster after a suspicious package was reported, which was later deemed harmless.
A Met Police spokesperson said,
“Officers were called to Victoria Tower Gardens, SW1 at 11:37hrs following reports of a suspicious package. The item has now been assessed and confirmed as non-suspicious.”
Last December, police blocked the area near Westminster and Whitehall after a suspicious package was reported, but it was later confirmed safe.
In past instances, letters containing white powder or other suspicious materials have been found inside Parliament, prompting investigations by anti-terror police, such as the case in 2018.
Commenting on the 2018 suspicious package, forces said,
“At about 11.36 am today, Tuesday 13 February, police were informed of a suspicious package that had been delivered to an office within the Palace of Westminster. Police are at the scene and dealing. The letter contained a white powder, which is currently being assessed by specialists. The office remains closed at this time, but the rest of the Palace of Westminster is open.”
Later, they added,
“The letter contained a white powder, which has been assessed by specialists and found not to be noxious. The office remains closed at this time, but the rest of the Palace of Westminster is open.”