Armed police shot a man on London Bridge today in an incident that has left one person dead and up to five people injured as Scotland Yard said they are treating it as ‘terror-related’.
Dramatic video filmed at the scene around 2pm this afternoon shows at least four people struggling with a man on the ground before armed police officers step in.
The officers tell the people on top of the suspect to move away, before dragging the last bystander to safety and opening fire. One of the bystanders is holding a knife which seems to have been taken from the suspect.
The suspect lies wounded on the ground, but still moving as officers back away – clearly fearing that they are still in danger, potentially from explosives.
The incident comes two and a half years after the horrifying terrorist attack on London Bridge in June 2017 which saw three men kill eight people and injure 48 others.
While the episode unfolds this afternoon, hundreds of frightened bystanders look on and begin screaming and running for their lives as shots are fired.
Police this afternoon refused to say if the shot man had died, or if another person had been killed in the incident. A spokesman said: ‘We don’t know, and we’re not releasing any more information.’
Video filmed at the scene shows at least four people struggling with a man on London Bridge this afternoon
A man can be seen holding a knife on London Bridge during the incident today, which also saw a man lying on the ground
The eyewitness video appears to show a man on the pavement of the north-bound carriageway on the western side today
Police apprehend a man in an street on the south side of London Bridge today as they respond to the incident
A person is assisted after falling when police evacuated people from Borough Market near London Bridge this afternoon
People are evacuated from London Bridge in the capital this afternoon after a police incident
Police on Cannon Street in London near the scene of the incident on London Bridge in the capital today
Police and emergency services at the scene of the incident on London Bridge this afternoon
A police officer moves an uninvolved person away from a cordon after the incident today
One video showed what appeared to be police pulling equipment out of a vehicle nearby. Those in the video could be heard saying: ‘They’ve actually got guns out.’
Onlooker Zack Shooter said police almost knocked him over as they ran towards the incident, adding: ‘Then loads of cars with sirens all rushed past me at full speed.’
Police evacuated London Bridge station and the surrounding area. A cordon was set up at Borough Market while evacuation continued from shops and businesses.
The response from officers led scores of people to run down St Thomas’ Street. Police said they were treating the evacuation of the area surrounding Borough Market as a ‘major incident.’
Station staff at Monument claimed five people have been injured in the London Bridge knife attack. The Tube station has been closed off as armed police investigate.
Staff working for News UK, whose offices are by London Bridge station, reported being held in their building as police dealt with the incident.
A woman is carried away from the scene by police officers at London Bridge this afternoon
Armed police with dogs patrol along Cannon Street in London today after the incident on London Bridge
Armed police at the scene today after witnesses reported hearing gunshots at London Bridge
Police at the scene of the incident on London Bridge in the capital this afternoon
People fleeing from Borough Market in London following a police incident this afternoon
Traffic is stopped and people are held behind a police cordon near Borough Market today
Dan Wooton, executive editor at The Sun, tweeted: ‘Police dogs at work on London Bridge. We are currently in lockdown in the News building after advice for police.’
A man who works across the road from Borough Market said he had heard reports of a man with a knife who had been shot by police.
‘A lorry crossed over into both lanes and police were shooting at it from both sides,’ he said.
‘Apparently there was an assailant with knife. They’ve taped past our office now and we can’t get in.’
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: ‘I’m being kept updated on the incident at London Bridge and want to thank the police and all emergency services for their immediate response.’
Mr Johnson is returning from his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency to Downing Street where he will get further information on the London Bridge incident.
‘PM on his way back to No 10 from his constituency where he will receive further updates on the London Bridge incident,’ the Prime Minister’s official spokesman messaged.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: ‘Very concerned by ongoing incident at London Bridge. My thoughts are with all affected. I am grateful for the rapid response of our police and I urge everyone to follow their advice.’
Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: ‘Shocking reports from London Bridge. My thoughts are with those caught up in the incident. Thank you to the police and emergency services who are responding.’
Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood, who helped tackle a terror attack outside Parliament in 2017, tweeted that today’s incident was a ‘stark reminder of the dangerous and diverse threats we continue to face but also of the incredible bravery and professionalism of our emergency services in so swiftly closing this incident down’.
Police officers guard outside Borough Market after an incident at London Bridge this afternoon
A Metropolitan Police armed response officer stands guard near Borough Market after today
People leave the area as armed police with dogs patrol along Cannon Street in London this afternoon
Armed police at the scene of an incident on London Bridge in the capital this afternoon
Members of the public are held behind a police cordon near London Bridge train station today
Police on Cannon Street in London near the scene of the incident on London Bridge in the capital this afternoon
Police apprehend a man in an street on the south side of London Bridge in the capital
Members of the police and emergency services arriving at Monument Tube station in London today
A Metropolitan Police armedResponse officer stands guard near Borough Market after the incident today
One business owner said she had been crossing London Bridge to get to her shop on the north side when police officers stopped her.
She said that was when she heard at least five or six gunshots and said that her store has been evacuated.
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, added: ‘I was approaching London Bridge and a policeman would not let me through.
‘We heard shooting, it was about five or six shots, I heard five or six quite clearly. All my staff have been evacuated.’
A video emerged showing police officers aiming guns at a white lorry that jackknifed across London Bridge.
The footage shows several officers surrounding the vehicle before moving to the rear to check its container. London buses can be seen either side of the lorry while three police cars are parked next to it on the bridge.
A woman, third right, is assisted after falling when police evacuated people from Borough Market in London today
Police officers close to a scene of the incident at London Bridge this afternoon
People leave the area near Borough Market after the incident at London Bridge this afternoon
The scene on London Bridge in the aftermath of the reported shooting in London today
Police at the scene on London Bridge as officers respond to reports of an incident
Witness Amanda Hunter, who was on a bus across the bridge when she heard shots fired, told BBC News: ‘(The bus) all of a sudden stopped and there was commotion and looked out the window and I just saw these three police officers going over to a man.
‘It seemed like there was something in his hand, I’m not 100 per cent sure, but then one of the police officers shot him.
‘We were stopped on a bus for only a minute or a minute-and-a-half, and then we were able to safely get off the bridge.’
Nurse Jackie Bensfield, 32, described how she asked to be let off a bus on London Bridge after she heard ‘five or six’ gunshots.
Ms Benfield, who was on her way home from work, said she exited the bus and ‘ran like hell’ to escape the shots.
Ms Bensfield, who was visibly shaken by the incident, said: ‘I just ran as fast as I could. Hearing gunshots and running from them is not really a good feeling.
Metropolitan Police Armed Response officers gather near Borough Market after reports of shots being fired on London Bridge on November 29, 2019 in London, England
Members of the public are held behind a police cordon near London Bridge train station today
Police cars and vans respond to the incident on London Bridge this afternoon
Scotland Yard said officers are ‘dealing with an incident at London Bridge’ this afternoon
‘I was on the bus and there was a lot of traffic, but I remember it stopped. Then all of a sudden I see police officers yelling and people running off the bridge. I said ‘please let me out, please let me out.’
‘Then I just ran as fast as I could. ‘Pop pop pop’ that’s what it sounded like. Unfortunately I know what gunshots sound like.’
Connor Allen, who was in his van on the bridge when it was evacuated said: ‘Everyone just started running, you heard these pops and that was it. We just got out the van and started running.’
London Ambulance Service said it had declared a major incident.
A statement on Twitter said: ‘We have now declared a major incident and have a number of crews at the scene in London Bridge. We will share more information as soon as we have it.’
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘Police were called at 1.58pm to a stabbing at premises near to London Bridge. Emergency services attended, including officers from the Met and City of London Police.
People running away from Borough Market in London after police told them to leave the area
Armed police at the scene of an incident on London Bridge in the capital this afternoon
Vehicles over London Bridge this afternoon as police confirm they are dealing with an incident
Emergency services vehicles are pictured dealing with an incident on London Bridge today
People running away from Borough Market in London after police tell to them to leave the area
‘A man has been detained by police. We believe a number of people have been injured. Further info to follow.’
The force added: ‘At this stage, the circumstances relating to the incident at London Bridge remain unclear. However, as a precaution, we are currently responding to this incident as though it is terror-related.
‘One man has been shot by police. We will provide further information when possible.’
‘We are aware of reports circulating on social media. We will release facts when we can – our info must be accurate.’
A witness who works in a stall in Borough Market, told how it looked like a minor incident at first. Laurence Verfaillie said: ‘I thought it was a car crash, it looked like it was pretty minor.
‘Suddenly a trader told me the ice cream seller on the bridge has run away yelling there has been an incident. Another trader said police were looking for someone.
‘Suddenly people were taking refuge in our shop before we got told to leave. We still think about what happened last time.’
One video posted to social media showed a man, apparently the suspect, grappling with some other men.
As he tried to get up from the floor, he then collapsed to the ground after being hit by what appeared to be gunfire.
Police at the scene of the incident on London Bridge in the capital this afternoon
Police urged anyone near the scene today to ‘follow the directions of any officer on the ground’
Police are ‘in the early stages of dealing with an incident at London Bridge’, officers said
Another video filmed from a nearby bus showed the apparent suspect being shot as he lay on the ground. Another man in a suit and jacket could be seen running from him, having retrieved a large knife.
After at least two shots were heard, passengers could be heard screaming, with one shouting: ‘What the f***, they’ve killed him.’
BBC correspondent John McManus told BBC News that he had heard several gun shots on London Bridge.
‘Just a few minutes ago I was walking across London Bridge on the south bank to the north bank of the bridge,’ he said.
‘There appeared to be a fight going on the other side of the bridge, with several men attacking one man.’
‘Police then quickly arrived, including armed police, and then a number of shots were fired at this man.
‘Police have now cleared the bridge, everybody has been told to move back and now on the northern side of the bridge, but there are more shots going on.
‘I can’t see what’s happening now because we’ve been moved out of the way but there are shots going on, and you probably hear the police sounds as well.
‘Everybody has cleared the area, the entire bridge has been moved, and right on the northern part of the bridge, right up until quite near the Bank of England, is being cleared.’
‘There are more police coming into the area as I’m speaking, they’re telling people to clear, to move back,’ Mr McManus continued.
‘We’ve been moved back hundreds of metres back from the northern side of the bridge, and I can only assume the same has happened on the southern side of the bridge as well.’
The BBC correspondent said he could see a man lying on the ground but the situation was ‘ongoing’.
‘There appeared to be a fight going on on the bridge, from what I could see, several people tried to restrain a man and it was then that armed police arrived and they fired shots at this person,’ he said.
‘The last I could see before we were moving from the bridge was lying on the ground.
‘Since then, since we’ve been moved back, I’ve heard several more shots fired as well. So at this moment it seems to be a developing situation.’
On the picture on London Bridge, Mr McManus said: ‘It’s a busy, sunny Friday afternoon, with lots and lots of people out on the streets.
‘Many people going into London Bridge, which is a major train station for people travelling out to the south of London and to the south coast.
‘Of course, this is the business district, the City of London, so it’s incredibly busy here but right now all the traffic has come to a complete halt, the police ticker tape has gone up, there’s police cars everywhere.
‘I can see traffic being turned around to go back where it came from, because the whole of London Bridge, has now been sealed off and those armed police are on the bridge right now.’
Kelby McNally, OK! Online’s editor, works in the Northern and Shell Building on Lower Thames Street near to London Bridge.
She said: ‘I was coming out of Pret on Eastcheap and there were loads of people just running, I thought it was a fire alarm or something, and then I saw two girls from my office who told me not to go back there. I asked what had happened, and they said they had heard gunshots and now everyone is running.
‘City of London police officers and paramedics told us, ‘You need to go that way, do not go near London Bridge, run that way’.
‘Everyone was running, so then we came to where the Sky Garden building is and the security guards let everyone in. We’re sat in the foyer of this building, and everyone is running outside.
‘Now everyone is being let out of this building but they’re saying you cannot walk back towards London Bridge, go towards Liverpool Street.’
British Transport Police said London Bridge station has been closed.
The force tweeted: ‘We are aware of an incident at London Bridge and are assisting our colleagues at the Metropolitan Police.
‘London Bridge station is currently closed and trains are none stopping. Please check with the Metropolitan Police for further updates.’
