British Parliament in lock down

**the Black Prince** · June 07, 2006, 12:51 PM

the Houses of Parliament has been sealed with MPs locked in the chamber and committee rooms as Police and the sergeants at arms conduct an emergrency security sweep

BBC News reports
It is understood the alert comes after someone was reported to have "thrown around" an unknown substance in the building's Central Lobby.

The person was reported to be "making claims" about the substance.

other news sources report the substance to be Anthrax

**Dionysios II The Great** · June 07, 2006, 12:53 PM

Anthrax, isn't that very deadly or toxic? It reminds me of bombs for some reason.

**~~Tony83~~** · June 07, 2006, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by Dionysios II The Great

Anthrax, isn't that very deadly or toxic? It reminds me of bombs for some reason.

Anthrax is a particularly nasty infectious and usually fatal disease. It attacks animals, especially cattle and sheep. The disease can be transmitted to us through contact with contaminated animal substances, such as hair, feces, or hides. It's a very painful way to die and once an area is contaminated it can linger for years.

**Perikles** · June 07, 2006, 12:53 PM

Oh dear, I don't think Prezza's going to make his Croquet match tonight....

**the Black Prince** · June 07, 2006, 01:01 PM

anthrax report from Black Rod...

**Swifty** · June 07, 2006, 01:08 PM

Looks like another plea for attention from some kook. Fathers for Justice springs to mind

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5057254.stm

Undoubtedly be grounds for another security overhaul.

**the Black Prince** · June 07, 2006, 01:09 PM

BBC News finally update with the full report...

The House of Commons has been re-opened after being "locked down" after a person was seen throwing powder around in the building's central lobby.
All doors and exits were closed with no-one allowed in or out of the building while the incident was investigated.

There were fears the powder could have been dangerous but MP Angus Robertson said it was thought to be wheat flour.

Business continued as usual inside the Commons during the half-hour alert.

But anti-terrorist police were sent to the scene to investigate.

Nick Assinder, the BBC News website's political correspondent was in the building during the alert.

He said: "At about 1815 BST anyone attempting to leave the palace found all the doors barred after police subjected the entire place to a lock-down.

"We were simply told there had been a security alert and we would not be allowed to leave until the incident had been checked out. It only later emerged that this was apparently an individual in central lobby, which is open to the public, who had been involved in an incident.

"There was no sense of panic in Westminster as the security staff attempted to get to the bottom of the incident."

Assinder said it was not the first time the Palace of Westminster had been shut down - this had happened on at least one previous occasion, following the purple powder attack on Tony Blair during question time by members of Fathers for Justice.

**King Henry V** · June 07, 2006, 01:21 PM

Oh big deal. Even if they did die, they're only politicians. Easily replaceable.

**Custor** · June 07, 2006, 01:53 PM

And it's very difficult to become infected from a natural source so the mortality rate is very low even in areas where Anthrax is endemic.

So the loon with the flour wins again. Christ, if one more idiot with white powder -ooOOOH! gets air time....