Staff and students were sent home from New VIc, the sixth-form college in Plaistow, on Monday morning after a suspicious package was reported in a car parked close by.

Six police cars were called to the scene in Prince Regent Lane just after 9am after a plastic box with wires was discovered in the back of the vehicle.

People were swiftly evacuated from the college, but after an investigation the area was given the all clear at around 10.15am.

But the college was closed to students for the rest of the day.

A statement from the New VIc, later posted on the college’s website, said: “Following the evacuation of the building this morning for safety reasons, the college is closed to students for the rest of today (Monday November 14).

“We have been given the all clear and college will re-open as normal tomorrow (November 15).

“We apologise for the inconvenience to students.”

Police said that after the all-clear was given “people are being allowed back in (to the college building)”.

The Newham Recorder has made numerous calls to the college but without response.