2nd LD Writethru: Road closures lifted in central London after security incident

LONDON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Road closures have been lifted as a controlled explosion was carried out after a "suspicious vehicle" was found abandoned Thursday near Buckingham Palace gardens in central London, according to police.

The controlled explosion was carried out at around 2140 GMT and the incident was stood down, said the City of Westminster police in a statement.

Earlier London's Hyde Park Corner tube station and the roads around it were shut down by police as bomb squad officers were inspecting the suspicious car.

The central London tube station is especially busy during Christmas time as it is close to Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland, one of the biggest entertainment parks in London.

The vehicle was spotted by officers on a routine patrol shortly before 2100 GMT, according to the police. Enditem