Security Alert in Ealing Town Centre

Shops evacuated ,roads cordoned off and buses diverted on a busy Saturday evening

( Images courtesy Michael Greer)

A large area of Ealing centre was cordoned off this evening ( Saturday 10th) as police dealt with a security alert.

They were called to Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre, W5 at 18:10hrs after reports of a ' suspicious package' and say specialist officers were in attendance. Local roads were closed as a precaution.

An eye witness at the scene said all the shops were evacuated and cordons put in place around the Mall, New Broadway and Bond Street.

Buses through the area were stopped as was all traffic.

It's the second alert in just over a fortnight. Police were called to the Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre on May 25th  to deal with a ' suspicious package' - it turned out to be a false alarm

Shortly before 9pm the cordons were lifted and staff allowed back into the shops.

A few minutes later eye witness, Michael Greer, said 'Ealing is back to its usual bustling self'.

Police say during the incident, two women and a man were arrested on suspicion of public order offences and taken to a north London police station. They have since been released with no further action .

10th June 2017 (updated)