Shoppers scattered in panic and police flooded one of London's busiest areas Friday after multiple reports of shots being fired at Oxford Circus subway station.
But an hour later police said they had found no sign of any gunshots, suspects or casualties.
The scene outside the London Palladium in the west end of London after Oxford Circus station was evacuated Friday Nov. 24, 2017. British police said Friday they were responding to reports of an incident at Oxford Circus subway station, one of London's busiest. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)
The panic erupted on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, in a jittery city that has been hit by four violent attacks this year.
The area, full of big-name chain shops and department stores, was packed with shoppers browsing Black Friday sales.
Amid reports of several shots being fired, commuters and shoppers ran from Oxford Circus station and took shelter in nearby stores.
People in lockdown inside the London Palladium in the west end of London after Oxford Circus station was evacuated Friday Nov. 24, 2017. British police said Friday they were responding to reports of an incident at Oxford Circus subway station, one of London's busiest. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)
"I was next to the Tube station and everyone started screaming and shouting and then a flood of people came up the stairs," said Greg Owen, 37.
Police said they were responding "as if the incident is terrorist related," sending armed officers to the scene, cordoning off several blocks and telling people to avoid the area.
Some stores filled with people taking shelter; others were evacuated. At upmarket department store Selfridges, shoppers were ordered to leave. At least three heavily armed men believed to be police could be seen on the escalators inside.
In this grab taken from video, people run from the scene of an incident, near to Oxford Street, in London, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017. British police said Friday they were responding to reports of an incident at Oxford Circus subway station, one of London's busiest. (AP)
About an hour after the first report of shots, the Metropolitan Police force said officers "have not located any trace of any suspects, evidence of shots fired or causalities." Oxford Circus subway station reopened soon afterward.
It is not yet clear what set off the panic.
British Transport Police said one woman suffered a minor injury while leaving the station. The force, which patrols the train and subway network, said it was investigating what had caused the initial report of shots inside the station.
After declaring the incident over, the Metropolitan Police said that "given the nature of the information received, the Met responded in line with our existing operation as if the incident was terrorism, including the deployment of armed officers."
Kensington Palace officials said the security alert will not keep Prince William and his pregnant wife Kate from attending a Royal Variety Performance Friday evening at the nearby London Palladium. Officials said in a statement that the royal couple will arrive later than had been planned but should be in place by the start of the show.
Britons in general, and Londoners in particular, have been jumpy after a string of extremist attacks this year, including deadly attacks using vehicles to hit pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, London Bridge and outside a London mosque.
The city of Manchester was also traumatized by a bombing at a concert arena, which killed 22 people.
Britain's official terrorist threat level is set at "severe" indicating an attack is considered highly likely.
LONDON (AP) — Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in serious condition Thursday after undergoing operations, a U.K. government official said.
The animals were among a group of four horses that broke free during routine exercises Wednesday near Buckingham Palace and caused chaos as they galloped loose through central London during morning rush hour. A fifth horse tried to bolt but couldn't break free.
“Three of them are fine, two of them are unfortunately in a relatively serious condition and obviously we will be monitoring that condition,” defense minister James Cartlidge told Sky News. “They are in a serious condition, but as I understand, still alive.”
Three soldiers thrown from their steeds were hospitalized with injuries, but were expected to fully recover and return to work.
The British Army said three of the horses were expected to return to duty, but the fate of the two with the worst injuries was unclear.
Neither was believed to have broken bones, but a horse named Quaker was transferred to an equine hospital for specialist care, an army spokesperson said.
Vida, a white horse seen drenched in blood as it galloped down Aldwych, in between London’s historic financial center and the busy West End theater district, was treated for lacerations.
“Vida was the most visibly injured and the pictures of the horse running through London soaked in blood were horrifying," the army said in a statement.
The other loose horses from the Household Cavalry, the ceremonial guard of the monarch and a feature of state functions in London, are named Trojan and Tennyson.
During the wild spectacle captured by stunned commuters and shared on social media, the horses had near misses with cyclists and a rider on a motorbike at a traffic light.
Vida ran alongside Trojan, a black horse that could be seen sideswiping a taxi as it turned into oncoming traffic after running through a red light at an intersection.
One of the animals shattered the windows of a taxi it struck outside the Clermont Hotel and another smashed a windshield when it slammed into a tour bus.
Two of the horses were corralled at Limehouse about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from where they bolted. All the captured horses were taken back to barracks in Hyde Park.
Cartlidge said the army trains with about 150 horses every day, so the incident was exceptionally rare.
“Unfortunately we have seen what has happened, but all I can say is the crucial thing ... no serious injuries to the public as far as we aware, and of course we will be keeping an eye on the situation,” he told LBC.
The horses had been training for an upcoming military parade and were spooked by the crashing sound of construction materials at a work site in Belgravia, a swanky neighborhood just to the west of the palace, said Matt Woodward, commanding officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
A day after the incident, more than 150 horses and close to 200 participants took part in the regiment's annual inspection at Hyde Park to demonstrate readiness for summer pageantry including Trooping the Color and state visits.
A small crowd gathered as mounted riders, dressed in black, red and gold uniforms with golden helmets, trotted to the beat of a brass band.
This story has been corrected to show that the black horse seen running with a bloody horse was named Trojan, not Quaker.
A horse collides with a taxi in London near Aldwych, on Wednesday April 24, 2024. Several military horses bolted during routine exercises near King Charles III's main residence in London on Wednesday and ran loose through the center of the city, injuring at least four people and colliding with vehicles during the morning rush hour. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)
A white horse on the loose bolts through the streets of London near Aldwych, on Wednesday April 24, 2024. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)
Two horses on the loose bolt through the streets of London near Aldwych, on Wednesday April 24, 2024. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)
Two horses on the loose bolt through the streets of London near Aldwych, on Wednesday April 24, 2024. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)
A white horse on the loose bolt through the streets of London near Aldwych, on Wednesday April 24, 2024. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)
