Police have confirmed that no hazardous substances were found in a search in Kensington Gardens after claims of an attempted drone attack with radioactive material.
Specialist officers in protective clothing “assessed a number of discarded items” at the Royal Park near the Israeli embassy in west London, on Friday morning.
Police said they were are aware of a video shared online in which an Islamist group claimed to have targeted the embassy with drones carrying dangerous substances.
The park was closed following the discovery of “several suspicious items”. Among these items were two jars containing a powdered substance.
In an update on Saturday the Metropolitan Police said they have since assessed the items and have not identified any harmful or hazardous substances.
As a result, there is no risk to the wider public and the search has concluded and the park, that backs onto Kensington Palace, has been reopened.
Commander Helen Flanagan, of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “We recognise this incident and consequent police activity may have caused concern among local residents and the wider public. We are grateful to them for their understanding while our work was undertaken.
“Although the items found have been assessed as being non-hazardous, we continue to investigate whether they may have any link to the online video. This work is being carried out by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London and our enquiries remain ongoing.
“While the Embassy of Israel was not attacked, we continue to work closely with the Embassy and its security team to keep the site safe and secure.”
A van belonging to the Metropolitan Police's chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear team was near the bandstand in Kensington Gardens on Friday, around 500m away from the embassy.
A fire investigation unit from London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service's hazardous area response team were also present at the scene, as were divers from the Met's underwater and confined space search team.
It comes after Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia - which is suspected of being Iran-backed - also claimed responsibility for other arson attacks in north London.
Hostile states including Iran have used criminal proxies to carry out acts in the UK before.
A teenage boy and two men were arrested after the latest attack at the offices of a Persian media organisation in Wembley.
Police are not linking the attack to an attempted arson at a synagogue in Finchley earlier this week, or the torching of Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green last month.
Counter-terror police are also investigating a suspected arson attack at a building said to be formerly used by the Jewish community in Hendon on Friday night.
The Met is asking the public to remain vigilant and report anything that doesn't look or feel right to police. You can call police on 0800 789 321 or report it online via www.gov.uk/ACT. In an emergency, always dial 999.
