Bomb disposal robot deployed to parliament to tackle box of Christmas cards with MP's name on it

Miatta Fahnbulleh MP is on the Met Police's naughty list after Christmas cards shut down Westminster before 7.30am.

Thursday 18 December 2025 09:30, UK

Bomb disposal robot deployed to parliament to tackle box of Christmas cards with MP's name on it
Image: Bomb disposal robot deployed to parliament to tackle box of Christmas cards with MP's name on it
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A minister has made the Met Police's naughty list after a box of unsent Christmas cards triggered a lockdown around parliament.

Commuters to Westminster arriving for one of their final days of work before Christmas found themselves unable to get across Parliament Square and around the parliamentary estate as police taped it off due to a "suspicious package".

Westminster was shut down before 7.30am.
Image: Westminster was shut down before 7.30am.

Officers swung into action, closing down Parliament Square and Millbank before 7.30am, and the bomb squad was deployed to investigate.

A short while later, spotted heading into the breach to investigate this package, was a bomb disposal robot.

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Using the robot, the item was carefully inspected by specialist officers monitoring the feed - and it turned out to be a box of unsent Christmas cards.

The bomb disposal robot was unloaded by specialist officers in front of the Houses of Parliament.
Image: The bomb disposal robot was unloaded by specialist officers in front of the Houses of Parliament.
A police officer inspecting the box of cards that triggered a lockdown of Westminster.
Image: A police officer inspecting the box of cards that triggered a lockdown of Westminster.

Careful inspection by an intrepid Paste BN journalist found that the cards were in a box bearing the name of none other than communities minister Miatta Fahnbulleh MP.

Many of the cards were in a box marked "most urgent" - which makes sense, as parliament rises for recess at the end of the day.

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The box of Christmas cards was just outside the parliamentary estate.
Image: The box of Christmas cards was just outside the parliamentary estate.
The box of Christmas cards being inspected for signs of danger.
Image: The box of Christmas cards being inspected for signs of danger.

We reckon that parliamentary security and the Met Police will be shooting to the top of her Christmas card list.

Paste BN understands that Ms Fahnbulleh was expecting a delivery of cards, but they never arrived.