Armed police have descended on a high street and placed it under lockdown following an incident at an HSBC.
An image taken from the scene shows a police cordon wrapped around the branch on Lewisham High Street in south London. As reported by the Mirror, at least two armed officers can be seen holding large guns towards the entrance of the bank.
Further images show at least six police vehicles while a fire engine can also be seen to be parked along the high street in between two cordons. Officers said they were called to a “disturbance” at roughly 10.45am and remained on scene alongside ambulance and fire crews. They are speaking to a man inside an address and have partially closed Lewisham High Street.
Witnesses have taken to X to share further details about the scene. One said: “Lewisham is crazy right now. Police are locked off the road and they have guns etc”, while another referred to a “stand-off” involving armed officers. The nature of the incident is unknown at this stage.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Police were called to a disturbance on Lewisham High Street, at around 10:45hrs on Monday, 10 February. Officers are currently in attendance at the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade.
“We are speaking to a man inside an address at the location. Enquiries are ongoing to establish whether anyone else is inside the property. Lewisham High Street section of the A20 remains closed while the incident is ongoing.”
The force later wrote on X: “We are aware of social media reports about an incident in Lewisham High Street. Officers are currently in attendance at a residential address at the location speaking to a man inside the property.”
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “London Fire Brigade are responding alongside the Metropolitan Police Service to a police incident on Lewisham High Street. The Brigade was called about the incident at 1056, and crews remain on scene.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 10.48am today (10 February) to reports of an incident in Lewisham High Street, SE13. We sent an incident response officer and members of our Tactical Response Unit and Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene.
“We are responding alongside colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Service and London Fire Brigade and remain on scene as a precaution.”