Oxford Circus Underground station in London has been evacuated while police investigate a "customer incident," British Transport Police (BTP) have confirmed. Armed police are on the scene.
The Metropolitan Police tweeted: “If you are on Oxford Street go into a building. Officers are on scene and dealing. More info when we can.”
Ryan Butcher, a reporter for the Independent who was inside the station at the time, said panic broke out after passengers were told to evacuate the station. A tannoy announcement said there had been a “reported emergency” and police arrived quickly, he said.
“Everyone started running ... I saw smoke … people started falling over in the streets.”
He is sheltering in a nearby restaurant, where he said other people were “shaking and crying,” adding: “Its just terrifying.”
According to Twitter user Assed Baig, there is “Panic at Oxford Circus as people shout bomb!” while BBC journalist Kawoon Khamoosh said “too much police in Oxford Circus. People are screaming and running trying to escape the area. Everything was normal, changed in a min.”
Another Twitter user Chi Chi Izundu says she has been locked in clothing store Zara until “the situation is under control.” She added that people “panicked and ran for cover into the changing rooms.”
BTP did not immediately confirm the cause of the alert. It tweeted: “We continue to respond to an incident at Oxford Circus. The station is currently closed, please avoid the area at this time. Officers are on scene.”
The evacuation came as thousands of shoppers flocked to central London to shop the Black Friday sales.
A number of offices in the area are on lockdown.
