Times Square in New York was cordoned off for a time on Wednesday while police checked a suspicious van for explosives. It had been parked in the vicinity for days.

Robots and cameras were used to probe the vehicle while the whole of the popular tourist destination and the streets around the square were cleared. Buildings in the vicinity including the Nasdaq stock exchange were evacuated.

The authorities in New York are on extra alert for possible attacks during the New Year's festivities. The failed transatlantic plane bomb attempt on Christmas Day has also led to tighter security throughout the United States.

photo: the van is taken away (EPA)