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Oxford Circus incident: Armed police clear Tube station amid reports of smoke Oxford Circus incident latest: Reports of gunshots and stampede as police lock down London shopping street
(35 minutes later)
Armed police have evacuated Oxford Circus station amid reports of smoke. Armed police have evacuated part of central London amid reports of gunshots in Oxford Street and Oxford Circus Tube station.
Ryan Butcher, an Independent reporter who was inside the station at the time, said panic broke out after passengers were told to evacuate the station. Police say they are responding "as if the incident is terrorist related" but have not yet located any casualties.
He said a tannoy announcement said there had been a “reported emergency” and police arrived quickly. "Armed and unarmed officers are on scene and dealing along with colleagues from British Transport Police (BTP)," a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said.
"Everyone started running," he added. "I saw smoke...people started falling over in the streets." "If you are on Oxford Street go into a building and stay inside until further direction. Avoid travelling to the Oxford Street area."
Mr Butcher is sheltering in a nearby restaurant, where he said other people were "shaking and crying", adding: "It's just terrifying." Ryan Butcher, an Independent reporter who was inside the station at the time, said passengers were told to evacuate the station in a tannoy announcement saying there had been a “reported emergency”.
British Transport Police did not immediately confirm the cause of the alert, which came as shoppers flocked to central London on Black Friday. He had reached street level when panic broke out and people started running.
"We continue to respond to an incident at Oxford Circus," a spokesperson said. "The station is currently closed, please avoid the area at this time." "I just heard screams, someone shouted 'run," he added. "I saw smoke...people started falling over in the streets.
More follows… "I saw everyone running into buildings so I went into the nearest one."
  Mr Butcher was sheltering in a nearby restaurant, where he said other people were "shaking and crying", adding: "It's just terrifying."
He has since been allowed to leave by police officers, who are directing members of the public away from the area.
Police were first called at 4.38pm, with the incident coming as shoppers flocked to central London on Black Friday.
“At this stage, we have received one report of a woman sustaining a minor injury when leaving Oxford Circus station,” a spokesperson for BTP said. “There are no other reported casualties."
Trains are not stopping at Oxford Circus and the nearby Bond Street station has also been shut. Tickets are being accepted on local buses.