LONDON, Feb 5: A small package exploded at an office in central London on Monday slightly injuring a female member of staff, police said, triggering jitters in a city on high security alert.

Counter-terrorist police were called in after the explosion in Victoria Street, a short distance from Scotland Yard, the British capital's police headquarters, as well as close to government offices.

The woman hurt was taken to a nearby hospital for “minor injuries,” a police spokeswoman said. Later sources cited by the Press Association news agency said she is understood to have suffered injuries to her hands.

Speaking at the scene, Chief Superintendent Ian Thomas said a “small explosion” occurred at about 9:40am in the red-brick building, at 71 Victoria Street, headquarters of the outsourcing firm Capita Group Plc.

Capita manages payments for London's traffic congestion charging scheme and also has a string of government contracts.—AFP