After the false alarm was stood down, Twitter user Bob Bill – who appears to work nearby – tweeted a jibe at the BBC, suggesting a reporter’s shoddy parking may have been behind the commotion.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told the Independent a call was received shortly after 2pm.
Police cordoned off the area to traffic and pedestrians. Great Portland Street was closed and Regent Street blocked off, according to reports.
BREAKING New Broadcasting House being evacuated pic.twitter.com/LqrMRovmSv
— JamesClayton (@JamesClayton5) December 1, 2015
According to several sources, including a tweet from BBC Newsnight producer James Clayton, police were alarmed by the presence of a “suspect vehicle” near Broadcasting House.
In addition to the BBC, Portland Place is also home to the Chinese and Polish embassies, Kenyan High Commission and the Royal Institute of British Architects, as well as schools and hotels.