John Lewis in Kingston is reopened after shoppers were evacuated over bomb threat
- Shoppers were rushed out of John Lewis store in Kingston following bomb threat
- Metropolitan Police closed Kingston Bridge after ‘security alert’ at 10am
- Incident at Bentall Centre department store is not believed to be ‘terror-related’
- ***Did you see what happened? Email: [email protected]***
Shoppers were evacuated from a west London shopping centre this morning as police were called to reports of a bomb scare.
The Metropolitan Police said the threat was made to a John Lewis shop in the Bentall Centre department store in Kingston-upon-Thames just before 10am.
Officers closed Kingston Bridge and surrounding roads, but a force spokesperson said the incident is ‘not believed to be terror-related’.
A spokesperson for the John Lewis Group told MailOnline that its John Lewis and Waitrose shops were evacuated ‘as instructed by the Police’.
An eyewitness to the evacuation told MailOnline they were shopping in Waitrose at around 9.30am when a tannoy told shoppers to leave ‘for safety reasons’.
The store reopened at around 12.45pm and the cordon was lifted after police conducted a sweep of the area.
Shoppers were evacuated from a west London shopping centre this morning as police were called to reports of a bomb scare
The Metropolitan Police said the threat was made to a John Lewis shop in the Bentall Centre department store in Kingston-upon-Thames just before 10am
A John Lewis store in Kingston was evacuated over a bomb threat this morning
Officers closed Kingston Bridge and surrounding roads as they conducted a sweep of the area
Kingston Council said: ‘Police have closed Wood Street due to an incident’
Gareth Roberts, leader of Richmond Council, tweeted: ‘Seems there’s an alert of a suspicious device in #Kingston Town Centre – as yet unconfirmed’
In a statement, the Met Police said: ‘At approximately 09:47hrs on Wednesday, 28 October, police were contacted by a department store at Wood Street, Kingston where a bomb threat had been received.
‘The store was evacuated and London Ambulance Service attended as a precaution.
‘Following a search of the premises the store is reopened and emergency services stood down at around 12:45hrs. The incident was not terror-related.’
A spokesperson for John Lewis said: ‘We can confirm that our John Lewis and Waitrose shops in Kingston were evacuated this morning as instructed by the Police.
‘The safety of our customers and Partners is our top priority and we are working closely with the emergency services as they handle the situation’.
Kingston Council said: ‘This morning the Council was informed of reports of a bomb threat at the John Lewis department store in Kingston town centre.
Social media users tweeted in alarm at the bomb threat
‘The store has been evacuated and cordoned off, and a number of road closures are in place, including Wood Street and Kingston Bridge.
‘Please avoid the area until further notice. Our residents’ safety is our priority and we are working closely with the Metropolitan Police, London Ambulance Service and other authorities while investigations continue.’
Gareth Roberts, leader of Richmond Council, tweeted: ‘Seems there’s an alert of a suspicious device in #Kingston Town Centre – as yet unconfirmed.
‘But it’s causing LOTS of disruption so if you can AVOID the area then PLEASE DO!’
BBC Radio London Travel warned of delays along London Road, Portsmouth Road and Wheatfield Way due to the road closures in Wood Street and Kingston Bridge.
Social media users tweeted in alarm at the bomb threat.
***Did you see what happened? Email: [email protected]***