- Tate Modern was evacuated after reports of a suspicious package on April 8.
- Millennium Bridge was shut from both ends during the police response.
- Authorities later confirmed there was no threat and the area has reopened.
A security alert briefly disrupted one of London’s busiest cultural spots on April 8, after reports of a suspicious package near Tate Modern led to an evacuation and the closure of the nearby Millennium Bridge.
Police were called just before 11am, with officers arriving at the scene and clearing the gallery as a precaution. The footbridge, which connects Bankside to St Paul’s, was also shut from both ends while checks were carried out.
For a while, the area saw a visible emergency response, with the London Fire Brigade sending two fire engines from Dowgate and Soho stations to assist. A spokesperson said firefighters had been called to support police at an incident on Bankside, as quoted in a news report.
Swift checks, no threat found
According to Metropolitan Police, the call came in at 10.49hrs following concerns about a package outside the museum. Officers assessed the situation and later confirmed that the alert had been stood down, with no injuries or further incidents reported.
The gallery was closed to the public only briefly and has since reopened, along with the Millennium Bridge. While the disruption was short-lived, the response reflects how seriously such alerts are treated in central London, especially in high-footfall areas along the Thames.
For visitors and commuters in the area, it was an unexpected pause — one that ended as quickly as it began, once authorities were satisfied there was no danger.
