Oxford Street and surrounding areas erupted into a mass panic on Black Friday.

Oxford Circus station and Bond Street were evacuated and closed along with armed police being deployed amid reports of gunshots being heard.

The Metropolitan Police initially treated the incident as a potential terror attack, with two helicopters flying overhead and multiple emergency services at the scene.

Both Oxford Street and Regent Street were placed on lockdown with shoppers on one of Europe’s busiest roads hurdled into shops seeking refuge.

According to one police officer, he had “been here all night for the Royal Variety Performance and heard no shots”. The police have said there is no evidence of any shots being fired.

Voice of London spoke to an employee of Oxford Street, Georgie Whitney, 21, who was working at the time – she describes how she was “barricaded in a room, with management thinking it was a terror attack” and how she had been left “shellshocked” by the ordeal.

The British Transport Police (BTP) said they believed an ‘altercation’ between two men on the Central Line platform sparked the mass panic.

The BBC have said both men were identified by CCTV and voluntarily entered a police station where they were released without charge.

Scotland Yard said the operation had stood down at 18:05 GMT.

 

Words and video: Joshua Hornsey | Interview, footage and images: Michael Ward | Subbed: Bishakha Dutta