This is the shocking moment terrified shoppers in London sprinted for the lives following a bomb scare.
Shops and restaurants Regent Street were cleared out at around 2pm today, while police investigated a ‘suspicious vehicle’.
Footage shows frightened shoppers sprinting away from the area after police ordered them to leave ‘immediately’.
Posted on X, the short clip shows people fleeing down streets in a state of panic, as alarms ring out in the background.
Onlookers were told to stand behind a police cordon that had been established near the Royal Academy.
Once the area had been evacuated, the Met Police swooped in to carry out a number of controlled explosions near the vehicle.
The car’s window was shattered during the blast, carried out as a ‘precautionary measure’.
One eyewitness told The Standard: ‘They evacuated the whole street and are carrying out a controlled explosion.
Metropolitan Police officers swarmed the iconic Mayfair street and cordoned it off along with the nearby New Burlington Street whilst they investigated the potential threat
Footage posted onto social media shows frightened shoppers running away from the area, whilst numerous alarms can be heard going off around them
‘There was just a loud bang and the police are moving everyone further away.’
Another Regent Street worker said: ‘We heard a lot of sirens and a bomb squad vehicle arrived.’
The iconic shopping street is particularly busy this month as people flood to the area for the January sales.
But a video posted online showed the streets completely deserted following today’s evacuation, with the caption: ‘I’m still in the office on Regent Street. Very eerie. Heard at least one explosion.’
The fire service has also been seen at the scene supporting the police. It is understood normal operations should return soon.
A spokesperson for The Met said: ‘Road closures are in place in the vicinity of Regent Street and New Burlington Street while officers investigate a suspicious vehicle.
Regent Street in London was closed this afternoon as police evacuated the area following reports of a ‘suspicious vehicle’
Buildings along Regent Street in central London were being evacuated on Wednesday
Once the evacuation was complete, the force carried out a number of controlled explosions on the vehicle as a ‘precautionary measure’
‘Officers have carried out a number of controlled explosions as a precautionary measure.
‘This incident has now been fully stood down. The vehicle was found to be non-suspicious.’
Westminster Police also confirmed that the incident had been stood down, saying: ‘This incident has now been fully stood down. The vehicle was found to be non-suspicious.’
