Kingston emergency: 'Bomb scare' near John Lewis - customers flee shopping centre
A BOMB SCARE prompted police to close off Kingston town centre, with shoppers and staff rushed out of a major retail centre.
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Officers swarmed the Bentall Centre, the largest shopping centre in Kingston, to carry out an evacuation on Wednesday morning. The Metropolitan Police confirmed a bomb threat had been made and said the incident was not believed to be terror-related. Photos from the scene initially showed at least five police vehicles and an emergency first responder vehicle near a cordon.
Police officers were spotted standing in the background.
The local council confirmed an “incident” was ongoing while witnesses took to social media to say they had been told about a "serious bomb threat" in the town.
Kingston Council tweeted: "Traffic police have closed Wood Street between the Bentall Centre and John Lewis due to an incident.”
They later added: "Police have now closed Wood Street and Kingston Bridge in both directions."
One witness said a police cordon was erected around the John Lewis store in the shopping centre.
Another man said: “Apparently there is a bomb scare in Kingston town centre and all the shops and Bentall Centre have been evacuated.”
A dog walker claimed he was told about a "serious bomb threat" in the area.
The BBC reported a car crash had happened in Kingston Horse Fair, prompting a closure between Kingston Bridge and Wood Street.
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One person on the ground tweeted: "Area around John Lewis in Kingston has been cordoned off by the police because of a suspected bomb in the building.
"Took me ages to find a way back home, and I live less than five minutes from the store."
A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police confirmed there had been a bomb threat.
She 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.
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"The store has been evacuated and London Ambulance Service are in attendance as a precaution. There have been no reported injuries.
"A number of closures, including Kingston Bridge, are in place while officers search the premises. Enquiries continue.
"This incident is not believed to be terror related."
A spokesman for the London Ambulance Service spokesperson said multiple teams had been despatched.
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He said: “We were called at 10.01am today to reports of an incident off Wood Street, Kingston.
“We dispatched an incident response officer and our hazardous area response teams (HART).
“We are working with other emergency services and remain at the scene.”
A spokesman for the Bentall Centre refused to comment on the incident.
John Lewis confirmed staff and shoppers at its branch in the Bentall Centre had been ordered out of the premises by police.
In a statement, the retail giant 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."
They later said police had given the all-clear and the stores had reopened to the public.
Kingston Police said a search of the area had been carried out before confirming that all cordons had been lifted.