Oxford Circus in central London was evacuated tonight over fears for the safety of the public.
Panicked revellers tweeted their concern after being ordered away from one of the UK's major tourists streets.
Oxford Street Underground Station was also closed amid the investigation.
But Met Police tweeted: "Road closures are in place around #OxfordStreet #OxfordCircus while police assess a suspicious item. Tube closures are also in place. Please avoid the area."
Officers soon deemed the package non-suspicious and the area was reopened.
Transport for London (TfL) account also confirmed the station was closed briefly "following requests from the police".
"Whilst walking past earlier when there were no police tapes, some sort of pipe looking object was on the floor and police were 'operating' on it," one panicked Twitter user posted.
Olivia Lang, who witnessed the drama, told Evening Standard: "Police were shouting at people to get back.
"There were lots of flashing lights and sirens."
Another witness said: "The cordon keeps getting bigger and bigger and the police are moving us back."
"I’m not sure what’s happening but it looks like something at the station."
