PANIC IN LONDON AS GUNSHOTS RING OUT IN TUBE STATION

Stampede of shoppers sparked by fears of gunman on the loose

OXFORD Circus Tube station and Selfridges department store have been evacuated with armed police on the scene as people ran screaming after “gun shots” were heard.

Police were called at 4.38pm today to reports of gunshots at Oxford Circus tube station in London
Scotland Yard said there were treating the incident as if it is terror-related – but the incident has now been stood down
One person has suffered minor injuries sustained as she fled the scene
Police say as yet they have not found any suspects or any evidence of shots being fired
Shocking footage from the scene shows as Black Friday shoppers ran screaming from the scene, hiding in nearby shops and buildings
Officers warned people to go inside and stay there while investigations are carried out
Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road were also closed due to overcrowding – all three have reopened
Scotland Yard urged anyone on Oxford Street to “go into a building” and said “police have responded as if the incident is terrorist related.”

However they said they had not yet found any suspects or any evidence of shots being fired at the station in Oxford Street – which has since reopened.

There is also no evidence of any serious casualties and police have now stood the incident down.

The Met Police tweeted: “Our response on OxfordStreet has now been stood down,” the Metropolitan Police said on its official Twitter account.

“Given the nature of the info received we responded as if the incident was terrorism, including the deployment of armed officers.”

The previously said: “We have not located any trace of suspects, evidence of shots fired or casualties. Officers still on scene. If you are in a building stay there, if you are on the street in #OxfordStreet leave the area. Officers continue to search the area. More updates as soon as we have them.”

The area will have been packed with rush-hour commuters and shoppers along the shopping street when the incident broke out, at around 4.38pm.

Black Friday shoppers on the street were urged to take cover, and the BTP has since said one person has been found with minor injuries.

A witness said the area around the station had been cleared of people and traffic. Fire engines were heading towards the scene, the witness added.

Another person at the scene said people were running and screaming out of the London Underground station, with many flooding into nearby pubs and shops for cover.

Video from the scene shows panicked commuters fleeing the famous shopping strip as emergency services flashed by.

It is not clear exactly what has caused the drama, with authorities saying it was a “customer incident”.