Euston station evacuated after a 'suspicious package' found and controlled explosion carried out

A busy London train station has been evacuated after a suspicious package was found, police have confirmed. The incident which took place “in the vicinity of Euston Station” comes after people were told to evacuate Gatwick Airport due to a ‘security incident’ on Friday (November 22).

Metropolitan Police confirmed details at around 12.30pm on Saturday (November 23) via their X account (formally known as Twitter) saying, “We’re aware of reports online about an incident in the vicinity of Euston Station”. They added: “Police cordons are in place as a precaution while officers investigate a suspect package. We will provide further updates on this thread in due course.”

They later confirmed a “controlled explosion” had taken place and the cordon had been lifted. A spokesperson for the police force said: “A controlled explosion has been carried out by specialist officers and the police cordons have now been lifted. Thank you for your patience.”

This is the second incident of its kind in as many days after a "suspected prohibited item in luggage" was discovered at Gatwick airport’s South Terminal. A passenger described the panic that ensued after people were told to evacuate due to a ‘security incident’.

Sussex Police said an explosive disposal team was sent to the airport "as a precaution". They confirmed two people had been detained and the airport re-opened at around 4pm.

"Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator," a spokesperson said. "Two people who were detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys.

“There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel. [The] safety of the public, staff and other airport users has been our priority throughout the operation, and we thank them for their patience while the incident was ongoing.”