Summary
This blog will be closing now. Here is a summary of tonight’s events:
- Police have stood down from Oxford Street after responding to a feared terrorist incident, which turned out to be a false alarm
- Armed police and officers from British Transport Police rushed to the scene shortly after 4.30pm, after numerous calls of shots fired on Oxford Street and at Oxford Circus tube station, responding, “as if the incident is terrorist related”.
- Panicked commuters and shoppers ran out of the tube station and took cover in shops, on one of the busiest shopping days of the year - Black Friday - as rumours circulated about what had occurred. People were advised to avoid the area or stay inside if already there.
- British Transport Police said one woman received a minor injury in the crush as she fled Oxford Circus tube station.
- Shortly after 6pm, the Met said its response had been stood down. In a statement, it said the first armed response vehicle was on the scene in less than one minute from receiving the first call.
Updated
The singer and songwriter, Olly Murs, who has 7.8m Twitter followers, was among those who tweeted that there had been gunshots and is taking a lot of stick as a result.
He was not the only one tweeting about gunshots by any stretch of the imagination and he clearly believed there had been shots fired - as did the numerous people who called the police - but it shows how quickly misinformation can spread, especially when someone has such a large social media following.
Fuck everyone get out of @Selfridges now gun shots!! I’m inside
— Olly Murs (@ollyofficial) November 24, 2017
Really not sure what’s happened! I’m in the back office... but people screaming and running towards exits!
— Olly Murs (@ollyofficial) November 24, 2017
Evacuating store now!!! Fuck heart is pounding
— Olly Murs (@ollyofficial) November 24, 2017
Being told no shots in Selfridges! Have no idea the whole store went crazy!
— Olly Murs (@ollyofficial) November 24, 2017
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s arrival at the Royal Variety performance at the London Palladium, situated on Argyll Street, close to Oxford Street, will be delayed due to tonight’s incident, Kensington Palace has said. A spokesman said:
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will still attend this evening’s Royal Variety Performance. Their arrival will be delayed, but we hope they will be able to arrive in time for the start of the performance.
Andrea Acedo, 21, was one of those waiting to be given the all-clear. She and her fellow students were held inside the nearby Westminster university for about half an hour before the incident was stood down. She said:
I was in class and there was a helicopter, lots of ambulances and police cars. Then I heard that someone was shooting people but we didn’t know where, so they had to lock down the university so no one could come in.
Another colleague, Joanna Ruck, was near Oxford Circus when events unfolded and provides an insight into how the sense of panic spread. She said:
I was just near Oxford Circus on the corner of Regent’s street on the way back to tube. I could see some police had just arrived but I thought maybe it was for traffic control because it was so busy.
Then suddenly people started screaming and running dropping their bags. I just started running too. There were hundreds and hundreds of people running away. Some said someone had been stabbed, others were saying shots fired, everyone was really scared.
People were really really panicked and shops were instantly locking their doors. I just kept going till I got to Regent’s Park.
Restaurants just metres from Oxford Circus underground are back in business.
Chefs in Ponti’s Italian Kitchen are putting pizza in the oven and waiters are serving drinks.
Robert, the manager, said his staff at the Italian restaurant followed their security procedures and rushed customers into the basement, giving them water.
When a waitress announced that no terror incident had taken place, the remaining customers erupted with applause. But missing out on Black Friday dinner sales was a concern, he said.
It is an important day for us. We have been full since 8am. We depend on London city centre and the hustle and bustle it involves. But more importantly, the police responded in way they do always do. Brilliant.
And... we are back to normal in Oxford Circus. pic.twitter.com/MzwbcYTykh
— Patrick Greenfield (@pgreenfielduk) November 24, 2017
Mail Online speculated that the incident at Oxford Circus in London involved a lorry crashing into pedestrians based on a social media post that was ten days old.
The website’s article on the incident included a headline referring to a lorry and quoted a Twitter post that was from 14 November. The Daily Mail UK Twitter account also posted
Witnesses describe seeing a lorry surrounded by police on a pavement covered with blood.
Mail Online quickly deleted references to the lorry from the article and the social media post. However, it was heavily criticised on social media for speculating about the incident.
The cordon to the north, on Regent Street, was about 100 yards away from the entrance to the tube station. People inside it were being escorted out by an armed officer at about 6pm but, within minutes, it was taken down and the small crowd that had gathered headed for the entrance of the tube.
People are going back onto the streets after the Met and BTP confirmed that no evidence has been found of gunfire.
Area around Oxford Circus tube has been reopened. Normality appears to have been resumed pic.twitter.com/R8tats7HnC
— Mattha Busby (@matthabusby) November 24, 2017
This video shows the extent of - understandable - panic among shoppers caught up in the incident, which thankfully was not what people dreaded.
Police stand down
The incident is officially over, say the Met. In a statement, the force says:
The Met response on Oxford Street has now been stood down. If you sought shelter in a building please now leave and follow the direction of police officers on the ground if you need assistance.
At 4.38pm on Friday, 24 November police started to receive numerous 999 calls within a short space of time reporting shots fired in a number of locations on Oxford Street and at Oxford Circus underground station.
Given the nature of the information received, the Met responded in line with our existing operation as if the incident was terrorism, including the deployment of armed officers.
Officers working with colleagues from British Transport Police carried out an urgent search of the area. No casualties, evidence of any shots fired or any suspects were located by police.
Some cordons remain in place and additional officers remain on duty in the West End to reassure the public. We thank the public for their patience and assistance during our response.
One of my colleagues, Caroline Bannock, has emailed in to say a couple of tube drivers suggested to passengers that the incident at Oxford Circus was related to a suspect package:
I was on a southbound Victoria line train at 5.20pm when the tube driver announced that there was an incident at Oxford Circus tube and no trains would be stopping there. The train proceeded through Oxford Circus.
The driver updated five minutes later: to say that both Oxford Circus and Bond Street stations were closed. There was a suspect package found on train heading northbound, it had been identified and the train had been moved on.
I changed trains at Green Park to get on the jubilee southbound - that train stopped at Westminster and the driver informed passengers that the package at Oxford Circus had been identified but there was also another faulty train and that was also causing delays as it was going slowly and needed to go into a siding. The tube straeted moving at about 1730.
Everyone around me remained calm throughout.
This map shows where the incident, whatever it was, took place:
This, from a reporter on BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show, is amazing if true:
“Being told an electrical fault may have been mistaken for a gun shot” - just overheard on th security guard’s radio
— Chi Chi Izundu (@blondeafro) November 24, 2017
There is still a lot of confusion and rumours about what has happened on the ground. Oxford Circus station entrances are completely deserted apart from police and emergency vehicles.
Piles of Evening Standard newspapers are still in place under the Christmas lights and there are still hundreds of people hiding in shops and bars near the underground station. Lines of red double decker buses are parked on curbs in the area.
One the scene in oxford circus. Hundreds of shoppers hiding in hotels and businesses nearby. People are very jumpy. pic.twitter.com/tLuXVAgdTJ
— Patrick Greenfield (@pgreenfielduk) November 24, 2017
The Uk terrorism threat level is at severe, meaning an attack is highly likely, with large amounts of terrorist plotting feared by counter terrorism officials.
Reports to police, even if unverified, of gunshots fired would trigger a rapid and large response. The view would be it is better to respond in large numbers with extra armed officers rushed in, then scale back if nothing is found.
The Met would have issued a “Run, hide. tell” message if they believed it was a full blown marauding attack. This was not issued today at any point.
Oxford Circus station has reopened, Transport for London says.
Oxford Circus and Bond Street stations now both reopened and all trains are stopping normally.
— TfL Travel Alerts (@TfLTravelAlerts) November 24, 2017
Snapchat prankster funnyboyeast was in Zara near Oxford circus making a video when he heard two bangs.
People were screaming and running into the shop. We got rushed out of the back of the store by security, saying there were rumours of a bomb threat.
'No evidence of shots fired or casualties'
The Met police have released an updated statement, which suggests the incident may not be as serious as initially feared, although it continues to advise people taking cover in buildings to remain there and others to leave the area. It says:
To date police have not located any trace of any suspects, evidence of shots fired or causalities. Officers continue to work with colleagues from British Transport Police in the area of Oxford Circus.
Updates will be provided as soon as we have them.
If you are in building stay in a building, if you are on the street in Oxford Street leave the area.
Officers are continuing to search the area.
One eyewitness, Paula, was on the 390 bus going towards London Victoria. She said:
I saw about 10 armed police jump out of a van and run towards the station. Then they closed the station gates. Next thing, the bus closed us in and kept on driving away. Then there were quite a lot of people screaming on the bus, and he let us off. The police kept moving us down and shouting for us to get away. I heard people shouting that someone has been shot.
Here is our latest news story:
British Transport Police says one woman has sustained a minor injury but it sounds like it was in the panic leaving the station:
At this stage, we have received one report of a woman sustaining a minor injury when leaving Oxford Circus station. There are no other reported casualties. More updates to follow.
— BTP (@BTP) November 24, 2017
Some fifty minutes on from the first reports at 4.37pm, no casualties had been located, nor had any suspects.The reports concern the Oxford Street area, in an around Oxford Circus tube station, which would have been hugely busy. It is rush hour in the capital with the Oxford Street area always busy with shoppers and commuters.
This video shows the panic unfolding:
An unusual hustle in Oxford Circus, people run out from a shop screaming, police arrived and closed the road pic.twitter.com/D9CPTAXu0E
— Semanur Pekkendir (@SemanurPe) November 24, 2017
London Fire Brigade are also at the scene in force:
We were called at 1643 to an incident at Oxford Circus tube. Three fire engines & 15 firefighters are in attendance. Please avoid the area. Follow @BTP & @metpoliceuk for more information #OxfordStreet
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) November 24, 2017
The Met police have said they are responding to an incident on Oxford Street and at Oxford Circus tube station.
In a statement, it said:
Police were called at 4.38pm on Friday, 24 November to a number of reports of shots fired on Oxford Street and underground at Oxford Circus tube station.
Police have responded as if the incident is terrorist related. Armed and unarmed officers are on scene and dealing along with colleagues from British Transport Police.
If you are on Oxford Street go into a building and stay inside until further direction.
Avoid travelling to the Oxford Street area.
At this stage police have not located any casualities.
