Kensington Gardens closed as police investigate claims of attempted attack on Israeli Embassy
The Met Police say the embassy site in west London has not been attacked
Last updated 7 hours ago
Kensington Gardens has been closed to the public today (Fri 17 April) , due to an ongoing police investigation.
In a statement from the Met, they say counter terror officers are aware of a video shared online overnight in which a group claim to have targeted the nearby Embassy of Israel with drones carrying dangerous substances.
But they stress the embassy has not been attacked.
Officers in protective clothing are assessing a number of discarded substances around the park, but the Met don't believe there's any increased risk to public safety.
A cordon has been set up and access to the gardens and the surrounding area has been restricted.
Police vans and a white tent can be seen at scene.
Statement from Met Police: Here's the statement we've had from the Metropolitan Police: "There is an increased police presence in Kensington Gardens and officers are assessing a number of discarded items.
As a precaution, some of the officers who have been deployed are wearing protective clothing.
We recognise this may concern local residents and the wider public.
We do not believe there to be any increased public safety risk at this stage, but we would urge people to avoid the area while officers carry out their work.
There are cordons in place and there is no public access to the gardens and the surrounding area.
Counter Terrorism Policing London are aware of a video shared online overnight in which a group claim to have targeted the nearby Embassy of Israel with drones carrying dangerous substances.
While we can confirm that the Embassy has not been attacked, we are carrying out urgent enquiries to determine the authenticity of the video and to identify any potential link between it and the items discarded in Kensington Gardens.
We will provide further updates when we are able to."
Statement from Embassy of Israel:
The Israeli embassy in central London was not attacked and staff are safe, it said in a statement.
Police are investigating whether items found nearby are linked to a video claiming it was going to be targeted.
“A suspected security incident is being investigated in the park adjacent to the Embassy of Israel in London,” the embassy said.
“We wish to clarify that all Embassy staff are safe and that the Embassy was not attacked.
“As always we remain in close and continuous contact with the local authorities.”