Bomb disposal experts were sent to Parliament this morning for a nerve-shredding mission, after a suspicious package was found near the heart of British democracy.
But fears of a dramatic Christmas plot were extinguished when it turned out the box simply contained a bunch of undelivered Christmas cards.
The festive missives – which appeared to be designed by children – were addressed to devolution, faith and communities minister Miatta Fahnbulleh.
A wide area around the Houses of Parliament, including Parliament Square and Millbank, were cordoned off by police before 7.30am today.
The offending cardboard box appears to have been left beside a statue of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst in Victoria Gardens, a short distance from the south end of the building.
Pictures from the scene show a black bomb disposal robot being deployed to rifle through the contents.
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However, all it found was some cards decorated with drawings of Christmassy gingerbread men and candy canes.
Rumours spread around Westminster that the box had been blown up in a controlled explosion, but luckily for Fahnbulleh they proved inaccurate.
A Sky News journalist who inspected the box after the police left confirmed the find.
The outlet said the minister, who was voted in as the MP for Peckham at last year’s election, was expecting the delivery but it never arrived.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed officers had been called to reports of a suspicious package, but the response was stood down after it was assessed as non-suspicious.
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