Irish bomb threat in London

London, May 16 (Reuters): Irish militants opposed to the peace process with Britain warned of a bomb in central London today on the eve of Queen Elizabeth’s historic visit to Ireland, security sources said.

“A bomb threat ... has been received relating to central London today. The threat is not specific in relation to location or time,” London police said in a statement.

A security source said the caller had used a codeword known to the police, lending credibility to the threat.

The warning came on the eve of the first visit to Ireland by a British monarch in a century and a week before President Barack Obama makes a state visit to London. Police said earlier that a security alert had led to the closure of the Mall, a broad avenue leading to Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth’s residence.