The US Embassy was locked down on Friday as police carried out a controlled explosion, while a bomb scare at Gatwick forced large parts of the world’s busiest single-runway airport to be evacuated, causing disruption for tens of thousands of passengers.

London police said a "loud bang" heard near the U.S. Embassy was a controlled explosion carried out after a suspicious package was discovered.

The U.S. Embassy in London has returned to normal operations after police carried out the controlled explosion of a suspicious package that was found in the area.