Police in Berlin sealed off Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office on Wednesday morning for several house after a suspicious package was found in the post.
An area in front of the central Berlin office was cordoned off, and bomb squads were called in to investigate after a police sniffer dog appeared to detect explosives in one of the building’s post boxes.
No explosives were found and by mid-morning police gave gave the all clear and reopened the area.
The building was not evacuated and Mrs Merkel chaired a cabinet meeting inside as scheduled even as the suspicious package was examined.
“Around 8.30am (7.30 GMT) we found something suspicious in a routine inspection and had to seal the area accordingly,” Thorsten Peter, a police spokesman, told N24 television.
A police officer was clearly visible carrying the yellow mail box across the snow to a van to be inspected. He was not wearing any protective clothing.
“Four boxes were searched and nothing of interest was found, just routine post,” an unnamed police officer told Bild newspaper.