A police officer stopped traffic in London today after accidentally driving off with ammunition still on the roof of the car, scattering it all over the road.
The Met has apologised after armed cop's mistake left parts of east London in gridlock tonight as officers tried to recover the weaponry.
East London locals intrigued by the police presence speculated on social media that the cops were searching for diamonds, according to reports.
However Scotland Yard said it was looking for bullets.
The force confirmed the ammo had fallen off the top of an armed response car on the eastbound A13 this morning near Plaistow, Newham.
Officers scrambled to pick up the scattered bullets hours after the incident at around 10.30am today, causing long delays around east London roads, reports the Daily Mail.
Parts of the road remained closed tonight as ammunition and other ancillary pieces were still being discovered on the road.
Drivers in London reported heavy traffic stretching to Tower Bridge, in the heart of the city.
A Met spokesperson told the site: "Enquiries established that the items were police issue and that they had been placed on the roof of an armed response vehicle and subsequently fell off when officers were responding to support other colleagues on a firearms operation.
"The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and have established that this was human error and the officer concerned has been spoken to and will be subject to an internal learning process.
"The Met apologises for any disruption caused to those travelling on the A13 and thanks them for their cooperation during the closure."
Scotland Yard was reportedly unable to say when the road would reopen.
