Riot police at NSW parliament house
Updated: 13:41, Friday December 20, 2013
The NSW Parliament House has been locked down because of a security threat outside the building.
NSW police have sealed off Macquarie St around Parliament House and are stopping people walking past it and driving down the street.
Riot squad officers, as well as a fire truck, are also positioned outside Parliament House.
Police are speaking to a person in a white sedan which is parked on the footpath outside of Parliament House, in what is understood to be a bomb scare.
Just before 1pm (EADT) more armed officers in helmets and flak jackets arrived at the scene as police appeared to be negotiating with the man in the white car.
Two fire trucks were also at the scene and firefighters wearing air tanks were seen walking towards parliament.
Bystanders were being warned to stand back but there was minimal activity inside the police cordon.
It’s understood Premier Barry O’Farrell has been told to leave parliament while other staff have been kept back from the front of the parliament building.
This week is not a sitting week at parliament so not all ministers and MPs would be in the building.
Treasurer Mike Baird tweeted at midday: With barryofarrell and we are locked in Parliament House -macq street closed riot squad ready! Please don’t panic.
Ten minutes later he tweeted: Apparently the culprit in the attached car – team just asked barryofarrell to leave so following orders.
Macquarie Street was closed in both directions between St James Road and Bent Street while College Street was also closed to northbound traffic at Park Street.
Two men in plain clothes appeared to be negotiating with the man in the car around 1.30pm.
An ambulance had also arrived as hundreds of people watched on from behind cordon lines.
http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=935877&vId
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