A suspicious item spotted yesterday near the Istana that resembled a grenade was actually a toy, said the police.

A sharp-eyed caller made a report at about 2pm after noticing it near the junction of Penang Lane and Penang Road, The Straits Times understands.

The first indication of the case came in a Facebook post by the police at 4.15pm yesterday, saying that they were attending to "a case of a suspicious item reported along Penang Road".

When The Straits Times arrived at the scene at around 4.40pm, Penang Lane was closed to traffic. Police said on Facebook that this closure was temporary to facilitate operations. It was reopened about half an hour later.

The item was found to be a toy that looked like a grenade, the police said, and it was removed from the scene at about 5.20pm.

The police appealed to those with information about the case to call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

All information will be kept strictly confidential.