LONDON — Three suspicious packages that appeared to contain homemade bombs capable of igniting a small fire were found Tuesday in and around transport hubs in London, the authorities said. The three packages were described as similar: all midsize white envelopes with padded manila envelopes inside. The London Metropolitan Police said that a counterterrorism unit had been called in, and was treating the incidents as linked, but that it was “keeping an open mind regarding motives.” No one was injured, but the police issued warnings for people to be vigilant around city transportation hubs.<doc-sep>London: Three ‘suspicious’ packages are linked say police top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Police responded to reports of suspicious packages at the three major transport hubs in the capital. All the packages were A4-sized white postal bags containing yellow jiffy bags, and appeared capable of igniting a small fire when opened, police said. Nobody has been injured in the incidents, police added Sky News has reported police in Ireland are assisting with the investigation after the packages were found to have Irish post stamps on them. In a statement, Scotland Yard said: "The Met Police Counter Terrorism Command has launched an investigation after three suspicious packages were received at buildings in London today, Tuesday, 5 March. “The packages - all A4-sized white postal bags containing yellow Jiffy bags - have been assessed by specialist officers to be small improvised explosive devices. “These devices, at this early stage of the investigation, appear capable of igniting an initially small fire when opened. Three explosive devices have been found across major London transport hubs “The Met Police Counter Terrorism Command is treating the incidents as a linked series and is keeping an open mind regarding motives." Officers received a report of a suspicious package at The Compass Centre, a building near the Heathrow Airport boundary, just before 10am. Scotland Yard said: "The package was opened by staff at the building, causing the device to initiate. This resulted in part of the package burning. "No one was injured. The building was evacuated as a precaution. Specialist officers attended and made the device safe. “The building remains closed as enquiries continue. The building is not based at Heathrow Airport, and flights have not been effected by this incident.” British Transport Police were then called to reports of a suspicious package in the post room at Waterloo Station at 11:40am. Police were called to reports of a suspicious package at Waterloo Station this morning The A4-sized white postal bags were discovered at major transport hubs across London The package was not opened and specialist officers again made the device safe. Scotland Yard confirmed the station wasn’t evacuated but cordons are in place at a small area on Cab Road, with train services continuing to run as normal. London Waterloo is the busiest station in the UK, with 94million customers in 2017/18. Police were also called to a report of a suspicious package at City Aviation House at London City Airport at 12.15pm. The Met Police Counter Terrorism Command is treating the incidents as a 'linked series' The package was not opened, while a statement from the airport said around 100 staff were evacuated from the building as a precaution. Aviation House, which reopened just after 4pm, is just a two-minute walk from the passenger terminal at London City Airport. Docklands Light Railway (DLR) services to the airport were suspended but are now fully operational. Flights to and from the airport have been unaffected. London Waterloo is the UK's busiest station, with 94 million customers in 2017/18 Waterloo Station wasn't evacuated but a cordon was put in place at a small area on Cab Road<doc-sep>"There are similarities in the package, its markings and the type of device that was recovered in Glasgow to those in London. Therefore, we are now treating it as being linked to the three packages being investigated by the Met in London and both investigations are being run in tandem."<doc-sep>MET Police chiefs suspect that the devices were a warning from Real IRA renegades ahead of Brexit and the possibility of a hard Irish border. The bombs were sent in A4-sized postal packages to Heathrow, London City Airport and Waterloo station on Monday. One of the packages burst into flames when opened and others were made safe by bomb specialists. The packages also featured a circular heart with a "love from Ireland" stamp on them. READ MORE: UK Counterterrorism Police Investigating Three Explosive Devices Found in London Security chiefs suspect the devices were a warning from Real IRA leftovers, who used a similar tactic of planting firebombs in London stores in the early 1990s. If the group is found to be responsible for the packages, it will be the first Republican explosives found on the mainland since 2014. A source told The Mirror: "The New IRA are the prime suspects and their inner core is very tight. It is thought they are using the skills of older experienced people to create mayhem." The stamps, according to The Sun, were bought in Irish post offices, but it is not clear whether they were stuck on by a sender or the post office. London and Irish police are working together on the investigation. Sources told the Irish Times that the devices had been sent by post from Dublin but this hasn't been confirmed and no terrorist group has claimed responsibility yet.<doc-sep>
Counterterrorism police in the United Kingdom are investigating three packages containing explosives that were discovered Tuesday near three major transportation hubs in London: Heathrow Airport, London City Airport, and Waterloo Station. The Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter Terrorism Command said the “small improvised explosive devices,” which were found inside small postal bags, “appear capable of igniting an initially small fire when opened.” As of now, no one has been injured by the devices. An investigation is underway with help from Irish police, and authorities are already treating the incidents as “linked.” London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted that “transport services continue to operate as normal,” although he asked people to remain vigilant. It’s unclear as of now who planted the explosives or why, although police said they’re “keeping an open mind regarding motives.” We're treating the incidents as a linked series & keeping an open mind regarding motives. Flights at Heathrow & City Airport have not been effected. Train services at Waterloo Station continue to operate. As a precaution, some DLR services were suspended but now fully operational — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 5, 2019 Timeline of the incidents According to CNN, the first package was found at Heathrow — London’s busiest airport — around 9:55 am London time on Tuesday. After staff opened the package, it “initiated” and part of it burned. Just under two hours later, police entered the mailroom of Waterloo, a major rail hub for the city’s south and west, and safely retrieved a second device, which was also inside a mail package. And 30 minutes after that, at City Aviation House — about a two-minute walk from London’s City Airport — officials found a third device and rendered it safe without opening the package. This is a developing story. We’ll update this post with more details as they become available.