Train services delayed by 'Spooks' prop

A prop used in the spy drama Spooks sparked a bomb scare and delayed trains for up to an hour after a passenger reported it to police.

Officers were called to a facility near Deptford train station in London after a member of the public noticed an oil drum with wires sticking out of it.

Services were suspended and some trains were stopped on the tracks until police determined that the alleged bomb was actually a prop being stored for Kudos Film And Television at a private yard.

Speaking to BBC News, a spokesperson for the production company said: "A member of the public looked into the yard and, on seeing the prop, decided to alert the emergency services as a precaution.

"As soon as the Spooks production team were contacted, they confirmed the package was just a prop and not dangerous."

A representative for the trains service added that the delay affected about a dozen railroad cars between Charing Cross and Dartford as well as Dover and Hastings on July 1.

Spooks, which stars Richard Armitage as MI5 agent Lucas North, films some scenes at a studio in Bermondsey.