A woman was taken to hospital with minor injuries after a suspect package reportedly exploded in central London.

Scotland Yard said the female employee of a business in Victoria Street was hurt following the incident.

The main road outside the building, which is just 200 yards from Scotland Yard, was closed off with a cordon set up around the entrance.

A police spokesman said: "We were called at around 9.40 this morning to reports of a suspect package at a business address in Victoria Street.

"A female employee has been taken to hospital with minor injuries."

The Metropolitan Police's explosives unit was at the scene.

A London Ambulance spokesman said: "Our crews have treated a female patient for minor injuries and conveyed her to hospital. We are still currently on the scene.

"We were called at 9.39 today to an incident in Victoria Street. We sent two ambulances, a duty manager and three support vehicles."

A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard said: "Officers are attending the scene to establish the circumstances. As a precaution, a cordon has been put in place around the scene."

Victoria Street was sealed off from Westminster Abbey to just beyond Scotland Yard, with an inner cordon preventing members of the public accessing the building where the incident took place.