• Specialist officers called to Westfield in West London at 10.30am
  • They placed cordons around the retail park as they assessed a suspicious vehicle
  • Shoppers were not allowed in or our of the centre but shops continued trading
  • At 12.30pm police announced the cordons had been lifted and the area was safe 

By Ed Riley For Mailonline

Published: 12:26 GMT, 23 March 2018 | Updated: 13:03 GMT, 23 March 2018

A major shopping centre went into lockdown after a suspicious vehicle was discovered in a car park.

Specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police were called to Westfield  in west London at 10.30am.

Police then erected cordons around surrounding streets near the Shepherd’s Bush site and said they were ‘assessing’ the vehicle.

Shoppers were reportedly not allowed in or out of the retail park while the investigation took place, and buses and tubes were redirected.

During the incident a spokesman for Westfield said the centre’s retailers ‘continue to trade as normal and all car parks are expected to be reopened shortly.’  

One picture posted on Twitter showed he first signs of the police cordon around the centre

One picture posted on Twitter showed he first signs of the police cordon around the centre

Another image showed the deserted streets as they erected police tape

Another image showed the deserted streets as they erected police tape

Another image showed the deserted streets as they erected police tape

Rows of police cars parked up near the scene as specialist officers swooped on the suspect vehicle

Rows of police cars parked up near the scene as specialist officers swooped on the suspect vehicle

Rows of police cars parked up near the scene as specialist officers swooped on the suspect vehicle

One witness wrote on Twitter: ‘So I go to visit the new wing of @westfieldlondon and there’s a #suspectvehicle in the car park so they’re pulling police tape in front of me.

‘Whole place evacuated on lockdown. The new @johnlewisretail will have to wait! #westfield… policemen everywhere.’

However more than an hour later the cordons we lifted, and the area was declared safe.

Shoppers tweeted that the area was on 'lockdown' and posted images of people waiting to leave

Shoppers tweeted that the area was on 'lockdown' and posted images of people waiting to leave

Shoppers tweeted that the area was on ‘lockdown’ and posted images of people waiting to leave

Westfield shopping centre (pictured) which was the scene of a security scare today

Westfield shopping centre (pictured) which was the scene of a security scare today

Westfield shopping centre (pictured) which was the scene of a security scare today

The Met Police tweeted: ‘The incident at @westfieldlondon Shopping Centre in #WhiteCity has been stood down. Cordons are being lifted. 

‘We thank you for your patience.’     

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