Visitors evacuated from British Museum after security scare

The British Museum was evacuated on Saturday afternoon after receiving what it described as "malicious communications" and finding a suspicious device in a toilet, Report informs via The Independent.

Metropolitan Police officers were called to the central London museum and, after checks, declared the package non-suspicious. Visitors were allowed back into the building at 4 p.m.

The incident came days after the museum postponed a lecture on ancient Israel, held as part of Jewish Culture Month, over concerns that some attendees planned to disrupt the event.

The museum said the decision was taken after talks with organisers and security partners to ensure the lecture could go ahead safely and without intimidation.

The postponement was criticised by several public figures, including historian Simon Schama, as well as the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which described the decision as "highly regrettable" and said it was working with the museum to reschedule the event.