Black Friday shoppers and rush hour commuters ran in panic after reports of gunshots in one of London’s busiest stations.
Teams of armed police stormed Oxford Street near Oxford Circus station but could not find any trace of suspects, evidence of shots fired or casualties and – following a brief closure – the station is now reopened.
A big thank you for bearing with us whilst we and @metpoliceuk responded to #OxfordCircus.
Armed officers were quickly on scene, no evidence of gunfire found. The area was searched swiftly and we are working to lift cordons and reopen stations.
— BTP (@BTP) November 24, 2017
Eyewitnesses posted scenes of people running in panic and claimed they’d heard gunfire, with singer Olly Murs claiming he’d heard shots while shopping in Selfridges. Police initially advised for those caught up to seek safety into buildings.
Police are clearing crowds from London’s Oxford Circus pic.twitter.com/xvgI5iWnUS
— Thomas Daigle (@thomasdaigle) November 24, 2017
However, a police statement said only one woman sustained a ‘minor injury’ while leaving the tube station.