Shoppers flee Marks & Spencer’s Oxford Street store amid reports of knifeman

Marks & Spencer’s flagship store in Oxford Street has been evacuated after reports of a man armed with a knife.

Armed police swooped on the scene at 2.50pm with Scotland Yard saying shoppers were told to leave “as a precaution”.

Shoppers hid in Marks & Spencer after some people claimed to have seen a man with a gun.

Jamie Melville Ormston told the Standard: “The police cordon has now been removed and Marks and Spencer staff inside main entrance being briefed [by police].

“There’s still a heavy police presence but public being allowed to pass the store now.”

Taxi driver Sam Coates added: “I’d gone into the store earlier on. A few minutes after I saw everybody running through to the back of the store to get outside, some people were shouting about a gun.

“I heard the security guy speaking to the armed police that there had been a fight at the front of the store and there were reports of one of them having a knife.”

Scotland Yard said that no suspect or victim had been found so far as they continue to search.

A police spokesman said: “Police are now leaving the shop in Oxford Street, which is reopening.

“There are no reported injuries and no arrests have been made. Enquiries are ongoing into the circumstances.”