Hundreds of people near Canary Wharf were forced to evacuate their offices over reports of a suspicious package, police said.
Though the bomb scare on Tuesday afternoon proved a false alarm, other workers in the South Quay area on the Isle of Dogs were locked in their offices as a precaution.
Road closures were in place around Harbour Exchange while the package was assessed, the Metropolitan Police initially said in a statement.
"Police pushing people back further after suspicious packages found in Canary Wharf near South Quay DLR," one Twitter user who was at the scene wrote. "Police have been on scene for over an hour now with nearby buildings evacuated."
Another wrote: "First day back at work in forever and we’re shut in the office due to a bomb scare in South Quay/Canary Wharf."
Canary Wharf Group, a property company in the area, said: "We are aware that the Metropolitan Police are conducting an investigation in the area of South Quay.
"As a precaution they have asked us to close the South Quay Footbridge. There is no impact to the rest of the Canary Wharf Estate."
The Met later confirmed cordons were being lifted after the incident had been "stood down".
