Portcullis House evacuated after 'suspicious package' turns out to be MP's apprentice's iPad

Skills and Equality minister later tweeted: 'An exciting start to my apprentices first day'

A general view of the Houses of Parliament on July 6, 2009 in London, England. (Getty)

Part of the Houses of Parliament was evacuated today when new apprentice caused a security nightmare after his iPad sparked a full-scale alert.

MPs and staff were asked to evacuate Portcullis House, part of the Houses of Parliament that contains offices, at around 9.30am this morning after alarms were triggered by a “suspicious package”.

Surrounding roads and Westminster tube, which Portcullis House sits above, were also close causing some irritation for travellers and tourists.

Around 11am MP for Grantham and Stamford Nick Boles, the skills and equalities minister, tweeted: “An exciting start to my apprentices first day at Parliament: the whole of Portcullis House cos of security scare over his iPad!”

The message has already been re-tweeted over a hundred times.

Following a Met Police investigation a spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that although an evacuation had taken place, the package had later been confirmed as "non-suspicious" and the security alert had been "stepped down".