A major security alert at the Houses of Parliament this morning, which saw bomb disposal experts scrambled and streets cordoned off, was sparked by a box of an MP's undelivered Christmas cards.
Westminster Lockdown Over Cardboard Box
Police sealed off a wide area around Parliament, including Parliament Square and Millbank, before 7.30am on December 18, 2025, after the discovery of a suspicious package. The item, a cardboard box, had been left beside the statue of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst in Victoria Gardens, close to the building's south end.
The response was immediate and significant. Specialist officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team were dispatched to the scene. Pictures from the incident showed a black bomb disposal robot being carefully deployed to examine the contents of the box, in a nerve-shredding operation at the heart of British democracy.
Festive Relief as Robot Finds Children's Cards
The tense standoff ended not with a bang, but with a festive sigh of relief. The robot's inspection revealed the package was not an explosive device, but a bundle of undelivered seasonal greetings. The cards, which appeared to be designed by children and featured drawings of gingerbread men and candy canes, were all addressed to Miatta Fahnbulleh, the Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities.
Rumours that circulated around Westminster suggesting the box had been destroyed in a controlled explosion were false. A Sky News journalist who later inspected the box confirmed the find after police had left the scene. The outlet reported that the MP for Peckham had been expecting the delivery, which had somehow failed to arrive through normal channels.
Police Stand Down After Non-Suspicious Assessment
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers were called to reports of a suspicious package. Following a thorough assessment by specialists, the item was deemed to be non-suspicious and the emergency response was stood down. All cordons were subsequently removed, allowing normal activity to resume around the Parliamentary estate.
The incident, while ultimately harmless, underscores the heightened state of alert and robust security protocols in place around key UK institutions. The swift action by police and bomb disposal teams, treating the unattended item with utmost seriousness, followed standard procedure for any potential threat in the vicinity.
