LONDON: British police briefly evacuated Trafalgar Square in central London on Thursday following reports that a suspicious item had been found in a nearby street but said the incident was quickly stood down and not considered to be terrorism-related.

British police are on heightened alert as millions vote in parliamentary elections just days after three attackers killed eight people by driving a van at pedestrians and then stabbing people in London Bridge on Saturday night.

Specialist officers were sent to Trafalgar Square, and the nearby Charing Cross railway station was also closed as a precaution before the incident was stood down.