LiveUpdated
Friday 29 November 2019 15:29
Police are responding to an ongoing incident at London Bridge.
Gunfire has been heard during the incident, according to a BBC journalist who was present.
Armed police have sealed off the bridge, witnesses report, and numerous vehicles can be seen in the area.
Nicola Sturgeon reacts to London Bridge incident
Public take shelter in church during incident
Mike King, a parish councillor at St Magnus-the-Martyr, a church near London Bridge, told BBC News that members of the public were directed into the church by police.
He said: “They were directed inside by police outside, directing people to go into the buildings nearby, as you know there are a number of offices near to us.
“So everybody has been ushered into offices and buildings close by, we’ve had a number of people come in to see us.”
He added: “We heard a noise that I thought was firecrackers going off earlier on.”
Police plea for ‘common sense and restraint’ with footage
#LondonBridge incident,” the Met police wrote on Twitter.
“Help us keep you safe.”
Police ‘responding to this incident as though it is terror-related’
Police say the circumstances of the attack “remain unclear” but they are responding to it as if it is terror-related.
#LondonBridge remain unclear,” the Met Police wrote on Twitter. “However, as a precaution, we are currently responding to this incident as though it is terror-related.
“One man has been shot by police. We will provide further information when possible.”
Monument station closed
Station staff at Monument claimed five people have been injured in the London Bridge knife attack. The tube station has been closed off as armed police investigate.
Eyewitness reports describe moment of ‘hearing gunshots’
Ms Benfield, who was on her way home from work, said she exited the bus and “ran like hell” to escape the shots.
Connor Allen, who was in his van on the bridge when it was evacuated said: “Everyone just started running, you heard these pops and that was it. We just got out the van and started running.”
Boris Johnson responds to incident
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I’m being kept updated on the incident at London Bridge and want to thank the police and all emergency services for their immediate response.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel added she was “very concerned”.
She said: “Very concerned by ongoing incident at London Bridge. My thoughts are with all affected. I am grateful for the rapid response of our police and I urge everyone to follow their advice.”
Cordon extended
The Independent‘s Chris Baynes, who is on the scene, says the cordon has just been extended. Offices and shops within the cordon have been evacuated, including Borough Market, he says.
Witness describes moment police approached man
“It seemed like there was something in his hand, I’m not 100% sure, but then one of the police officers shot him.
“We were stopped on a bus for only a minute or a minute-and-a-half, and then we were able to safely get off the bridge.”
Video shows police at a large lorry across the bridge
A video has emerged showing police officers aiming guns at a white lorry that jackknifed across London Bridge.
The footage shows several officers surrounding the vehicle before moving to the rear to check its container.
London buses can be seen either side of the lorry while three police cars are parked next to it on the bridge.
Incident comes weeks after UK terror threat downgraded
The Independent’s home affairs and security correspondent, Lizzie Dearden, writes:
The incident came weeks after the UK terror threat was downgraded from severe to substantial, meaning further attacks are likely.
The head of UK counterterror policing said the change “indicates positive developments in reducing the threat from terrorism”.
Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said officers were still working on about 800 live counterterror investigations, after foiling 24 plots since the Westminster attack in March 2017.
London Bridge area on lockdown
Nearby offices remain on lockdown, and staff are being told that the incident is ongoing.
The London Bridge station is also still shut. Trains are not stopping, British Transport Police have confirmed.
The London Ambulance Service has declared a “major incident”, it said on Twitter.
“We have now declared a major incident and have a number of crews at the scene in London Bridge,” it said. “We will share more information as soon as we have it.”
Staff evacuated from nearby shops
She said that was when she heard at least five or six gunshots and said that her store has been evacuated.
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “I was approaching London Bridge and a policeman would not let me through.
“We heard shooting, it was about five or six shots, I heard five or six quite clearly.
“All my staff have been evacuated.”
‘A number of people’ injured in stabbing incident, Met Police say
Police have posted a range of new details on Twitter:
“Police were called at 1:58pm to a stabbing at premises near to London Bridge. Emergency services attended, including officers from the Met and [City of London Police].
“A man has been detained by police. We believe a number of people have been injured. Further info to follow.”
The police say they are “aware of reports circulating on social media” and that more information will be released soon.
Here’s our story on that coroner’s report:
The Independent’s home affairs and security correspondent, Lizzie Dearden, writes:
Police have not yet confirmed whether they are dealing with the incident as terror-related.
But the location of the shooting will bring back memories for many Londoners of the 2017 London Bridge attack, which started just metres away.
That saw three Isis supporters plough a hired van into pedestrians on London Bridge, before going on a stabbing rampage in nearby Borough Market.
They killed eight victims before being shot dead by armed police.
The attack, which was the third Islamist atrocity to hit the UK in 2017, caused barriers to be put up on London Bridge and other major crossings over the Thames.
A coroner’s report into preventing future deaths warned that others could die unless authorities made changes.
Video from the scene appears to show tussles on the bridge
London Bridge station closed, says TfL
The nearby station – which is one of London’s busiest, hosting a wide variety of National Rail and Underground lines – has been closed, Transport for London says.
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