Images from Broadway Shopping Centre in Bexleyheath show a police cordon in place. London’s Met Police said it was called to reports of a bomb threat at 10:37am on Tuesday.
The shopping centre in Albion Road has been evacuated as a precaution, according to the force.
A spokeswoman for the Met Police said: “Officers are currently in attendance and the incident is ongoing. This incident is not being treated as terror related.”
Police have not made any arrests. Enquiries continue.
The venue has apologised for any inconvenience as officers deal with the situation.
Rai Holdstock, Centre Manager of Broadway Shopping Centre said in a statement on Wednesday: “We were alerted to a potential security risk at the centre.
“We worked with the police, who arrived on site immediately, to swiftly evacuate and ensure all our customers, retailers and on-site team were safe while the centre was searched and secured. We can now confirm that this was a false alarm and the centre has been given the all clear with our retailers now re-opened with business as usual resumed.”
In a tweet at 12.07pm on Tuesday, centre staff told shoppers the retail hub had been evacuated and was closed.
The centre is considered the largest covered shopping venue in the London borough of Bexley and is in the middle of Bexleyheath.
A large part of the town centre was taped off with shops ordered to shut by the police.
One shopkeeper from a mobile phone repair shop near the centre said on Tuesday the police ordered him to close his store at about 11am.
READ MORE ABOUT A FARMER SHOOTING A DOG IN FRONT OF ITS OWNER
The borough council tweeted: “The Broadway Centre, Bexleyheath, surrounding pedestrian areas and shops have been evacuated and are currently closed. Local police are in attendance. Please avoid the area as there are likely to be delays.”
One Twitter user said: “Another exciting day in the life and times of Bexleyheath.”
Another chimed in: “I’d avoid the area. All shops currently shut and buses are up the wall.”
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1580896/London-evacuation-london-news-bexleyheath-broadway-Shopping-centre-closed
