Oxford Circus station closed 24/11

[gavin]

Ongoing incident at Oxford Circus tube station armed police are on the scene and the station is closed no other details at the moment

Police are responding to reports of an incident at London's Oxford Circus Tube station, amid reports people have been seen running away from the scene.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42117311

 

[duncanp]

It is on BBC news now, and the reporter has spoken to someone who was inside the station who said that they thought they heard a gunshot, or saw a fire.

This is unconfirmed at the moment, of course, and no doubt more details will become available later.

 

[gavin]

Met police statement

Police were called at 16:38hrs on Friday, 24 November to a number of reports of shots fired on Oxford Street and underground at Oxford Circus tube station.

Police have responded as if the incident is terrorist related. Armed and unarmed officers are on scene and dealing along with colleagues from British Transport Police.

If you are on Oxford Street go into a building and stay inside until further direction.

Avoid travelling to the Oxford Street area.

At this stage police have not located any casualities.

http://news.met.police.uk/news/incident-at-oxford-circus-280293

 

[Be3G]

Bond Street station is also closed too, apparently.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No casualties located - interesting and good if this continues to be true. Who bets it was some idiot with party poppers or similar?

 

[gavin]

Bond Street Station closed to prevent overcrowding trains running non stop through Oxford Circus and Bond Street

 

[jon0844]

The Daily Mail managed to run the story as not only gunshots fired but also shoppers fleeing as a 'lorry ploughs into pedestrians'.

They've now changed the story to remove the lorry bit.

 

[gavin]

Looks like a flase alarm thankfully

To date police have not located any trace of any suspects, evidence of shots fired or causalities. Officers continue to work with colleagues from British Transport Police in the area of Oxford Circus.

Updates will be provided as soon as we have them.

If you are in building stay in a building, if you are on the street in Oxford Street leave the area.

Officers are continuing to search the area.

http://news.met.police.uk/news/update-incident-in-oxford-circus-280296

 

[gavin]

Oxford Circus and Bond Street stations have reopened

 

[dgl]

Now we go onto the theory of what ACTUALLY happened given that there is no sign of gun shots or any attacker at all (although in these cases it's always best to evacuate than risk it).

So are we going for something sensible such as an electrical fault somewhere or something more outlandish such as the sound of gunshots form a mobile phone (either an app/game or a video) or someone just claiming they heard shots and everyone else following that person like sheep.

 

[Bromley boy]

Very relieved to hear this was a false alarm. A horribly familiar sense of foreboding came over me when I saw the headlines, I must say.

 

[90sWereBetter]

I think this is the best summary of events I've seen. Glad to hear everything's fine.

 

[Be3G]

So are we going for something sensible such as an electrical fault somewhere or something more outlandish such as the sound of gunshots form a mobile phone (either an app/game or a video) or someone just claiming they heard shots and everyone else following that person like sheep.

I think we can rule out the last option thankfully, as a BBC reporter who was talking on the News channel earlier described having heard two “pops”.

 

[Bromley boy]

I think we can rule out the last option thankfully, as a BBC reporter who was talking on the News channel earlier described having heard two “pops”.

If someone has created a deliberate panic for sh*ts and giggles, I hope they are caught and prosecuted. Although I’m not sure whether there is a specific criminal offence for doing such a thing.

 

[Mikey C]

A lot of people seem to have heard the noise, so it wasn't just one prankster making it up

Of course rumours then spread, I ended up fleeing Oxford Street myself

 

[r37]

Thanks goodness everyone is alright. I was terrified when I heard about this as I have family visiting that area at the moment.

I hope it isn't some idiot who's done it for a trick. If it is then I hope they get what's coming!

 

[Lrd]

Rumours at work was that it was a group of people having a punch up, the station then closed causing people to panic...

 

[Antman]

Rumours at work was that it was a group of people having a punch up, the station then closed causing people to panic...

There were reports of gunshot although the police found no evidence of that.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If someone has created a deliberate panic for sh*ts and giggles, I hope they are caught and prosecuted. Although I’m not sure whether there is a specific criminal offence for doing such a thing.

When Americans talk about free speech, the oft-cited example of the limits of the First Amendment is someone shouting "FIRE!" in a crowded theatre... To be fair I'm surprised that example hasn't become shouting "TERRORISM!" in a crowded subway!

I too am unsure of how such an act would be prosecuted, though I'm sure some way would be found...

 

[LOL The Irony]

It would probably come under public order & breach of the peace.

 

[robbeech]

If someone has created a deliberate panic for sh*ts and giggles, I hope they are caught and prosecuted. Although I’m not sure whether there is a specific criminal offence for doing such a thing.

I think you'll find the specific criminal offence is called Terrorism.

 

[Antman]

I think you'll find the specific criminal offence is called Terrorism.

More like a public order offence.

 

[LOL The Irony]

The Daily Mail managed to run the story as not only gunshots fired but also shoppers fleeing as a 'lorry ploughs into pedestrians'.

They've now changed the story to remove the lorry bit.

Sounds like typical daily mail fearmongering

 

[robbeech]

More like a public order offence.

Arguably, although it is an act to put fear into multiple people which is a loose description of terrorism.

 

[Busaholic]

To be filed as yet another postscript to the seminal 'Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds' by Charles Mackay, published in the 1840s?

Has anyone actually come forward to say that they themselves heard or saw any shots fired? No, I thought not. What we did have was a woman rushing into Fenwick's in Bond Street screaming that there had been a bomb explosion, whereupon the security guard locked the main doors and refused to let anyone in or out (I'm not criticising him for this, by the way) but a local woman who was about to leave decided she'd rather take her chances outside and just went round to the side entrance, and then home, witnessing mass panic on the way. In Oxford Street, some shops insisted on evacuation while others had lock-ins/outs. From the pictures I've seen of stationary buses, these appear devoid of passengers and (possibly) drivers. I'd contrast this with Oxford Street in the IRA bombing period in the 1970s, specifically when a suspected bomb had been found in a Wimpy Bar (tragically, it killed the bomb disposal man sent to deal with it) and the immediate area was cordoned off, without shouting, histrionics and, above all, panic. I know, because I was around there at the time. I've got to say, it was a much more grown-up way of dealing with things, although it was helped by nobody having mobile phones and the non-existence of 'social media'. The problem now is possible'Cry Wolf' syndrome and people not reacting fast enough when something really does occur.

On a lighter note, a fox (rather than a wolf) hitched a lift on an open top sightseeing bus, hopping off when he spotted his destination of Hyde Park from Park Lane. I wonder if he carried an Oyster.

 

[Mojo]

Rumours at work was that it was a group of people having a punch up, the station then closed causing people to panic...

Yes, I heard that it was a suspected gang related incident.

 

[Bromley boy]

I'd contrast this with Oxford Street in the IRA bombing period in the 1970s, specifically when a suspected bomb had been found in a Wimpy Bar (tragically, it killed the bomb disposal man sent to deal with it) and the immediate area was cordoned off, without shouting, histrionics and, above all, panic. I know, because I was around there at the time. I've got to say, it was a much more grown-up way of dealing with things

I think the difference today, in light of recent experience, is that people will assume the threat is a marauding gun attack, +\- suicide bombers, rather than a time bomb in a fixed location.

You therefore can’t blame people for panicking/rushing to extracate themselves from the situation.

I’d certainly hot foot it if I was in Oxford Circus and heard reports of an unfolding attack.

 

[bramling]

I think the difference today, in light of recent experience, is that people will assume the threat is a marauding gun attack, +\- suicide bombers, rather than a time bomb in a fixed location.

You therefore can’t blame people for panicking/rushing to extracate themselves from the situation.

I’d certainly hot foot it if I was in Oxford Circus and heard reports of an unfolding attack.

Thinking specifically of the Bethnal Green station disaster during WW2, one could quite easily create a mass-casualty incident this way without needing bombs/guns/knives etc. Unfortunately it's one of those situations where people are damned if they do and potentially damned if the don't.

One hopes the whole thing was started by something a little more advanced than something like a squabble over a flat-screen TV, as is sadly common on "black Friday".

 

[bluegoblin7]

Rumours at work was that it was a group of people having a punch up, the station then closed causing people to panic...

Yes, I heard that it was a suspected gang related incident.

Fight on a platform, followed by a speedy dispersal.

Anything more than that is all unconfirmed rumour, with the panic and hysteria spreading wildly via Twitter, word of mouth etc. No evidence of gunshots anywhere on station, but was relayed to station staff by customers.

If ever there was a lesson to stay calm and not to panic, this is it. The panic also spread to Bond Street station, with all injuries stemming directly from the panic.

Nice of the Mayor to thank the Tube staff who were working tirelessly in his statement this evening, too...!

 

[Antman]

Fight on a platform, followed by a speedy dispersal.

Anything more than that is all unconfirmed rumour, with the panic and hysteria spreading wildly via Twitter, word of mouth etc. No evidence of gunshots anywhere on station, but was relayed to station staff by customers.

If ever there was a lesson to stay calm and not to panic, this is it. The panic also spread to Bond Street station, with all injuries stemming directly from the panic.

Nice of the Mayor to thank the Tube staff who were working tirelessly in his statement this evening, too...!

Of course it's very easy to say people should stay calm and not panic when sat comfortably at home, wouldn't we have all acted much the same way under the circumstances?

It seems the whole incident stems from an altercation involving two people who police would like to speak to and have issued photos of them.