Shops and even some homes on Bromley High Street were evacuated after a “serious threat” at The Glades Mall today. Shortly before 2pm this afternoon (Thursday, March 17th) the fire alarm went off in the mall and hundreds of shoppers were forced to evacuate.
As they left the center, shoppers were warned “this is not a drill” and were urged to leave the area. Many shoppers were forced to leave their cars at The Glades Parking. The nature of the “security threat” has not been confirmed.
Parts of Bromley High Street closest to The Glades have also been evacuated, while shops on the lower part of the High Street have been allowed to stay open. Some residents in the area were also told to leave their homes.
READ MORE: Updates as Bromley Mall evacuates over ‘serious threat’ and shoppers say ‘this is not a bore’
A resident, who did not want to be named, said: “My partner and I live in the marketplace and we were only evacuated after we noticed from the window, almost at 3pm, that something was going on and asked if we needed the ‘ Evacuate building. “
There is a heavy police presence in the area with cordons around the entrances to The Glades. One witness said police called “back” to shoppers who were gathering near the entrances. Another shopper told MyLondon: “I can hear sirens. There are people everywhere after they leave the Glades. It’s a bit creepy because even the businessmen looked a bit cautious.”
The shopping center social media account tweeted: “We are investigating a serious threat and the building will reopen when we are 100 percent sure about everyone’s safety.”
Police said they were called to the security alert and evacuated the building as a precautionary measure, but the nature of the security alert has not yet been confirmed. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Police were called shortly after 2pm on Thursday, March 17 for reports of a security alert at a shopping mall on the High Street, Bromley. Officers were involved in the incident. has been evacuated as a precautionary measure. “
For more updates on this breaking news incident, follow our live blog here.
Are you on the scene? If so, send us your pictures and video by email at josh.bolton@reachplc.com
Add Comment