Armed police have swooped in on Notting Hill tonight as part of a huge operation involving helicopters and balaclava-clad marksmen.
Residents were told to stay indoors and choristers were locked inside a church amid fears of a potential shoot out.
A spokesman for the Met told MailOnline however no guns were recovered but five people were arrested and a number of knives seized.
Scotland Yard confirmed the operation was carried out by detectives from their Trident unit and was gang-related.
Armed police have swooped in on Notting Hill this evening as part of a huge operation with helicopters and teams of balaclava-clad marksmen
Stunned residents have been told to stay inside their homes as specialist officers comb areas close to the Portobello Road area
Video footage from the scene shows concerned residents watching on as a spotlight shined over buildings as a helicopter circled ahead.
Police marksmen armed with guns could be seen scaling the rooftops of nearby buildings as raids into properties were carried out.
One man documented the terrifying moment police stormed All Saints Church in Notting Hill via Twitter.
Jake Elsley wrote: ‘Please pray. We are locked in the church. Shooting outside and armed police outside. This choir practice just got very scary.’
Shortly after, he added: ‘We’re all okay but all doors been locked and ordered to move away from windows and doors.’
The property entrepreneur said: ‘ We had a helicopter overhead, police outside the church door, and road was blocked both ends with unmarked cars.
‘Was very freaky getting asked to move and lock all doors.’ He thanked those on the social networking site for their support.
Several police cars arrived and undercover officers swarmed the streets at around 8.20pm.
One woman, who lives on Talbot Road, told the London Evening Standard: ‘In the main building across the square, the police were on the roof and in the scaffolding with guns and search lights.
‘There’s a police helicopter overhead with search lights and they’ve cordoned the road off.’
The Met Police confirmed the operation was ‘gang related’.
A statement by the Met Police released shortly before 11pm said: ‘At approximately 19:50hrs on Thursday, 9 November, detectives from the Trident and Area Crime Command, supported by firearms officers, carried out a pre-planned operation in the Colville Square area of Notting Hill.
‘Five people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.
‘They have been taken to a south-west London police station where they remain in custody.
‘A number of knives were recovered during the operation. Officers remain in the area.’
A police spokesman told MailOnline so far five people had been arrested and a number of knives recovered
Video footage from the scene shows a spotlight shining over buildings as a helicopter circled overhead
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