False alarm sparks panic on London's Oxford Street

Panic erupted among Christmasshopping crowds on London's Oxford Street on Friday evening asarmed officers raced to respond to reports of shots being firedin the area, but police said later they had found no evidence ofgunfire or casualties.

Oxford Street, with its festive window displays and hundredsof overhead lights, was crammed with shoppers taking advantageof the Black Friday sales when the incident happened shortlyafter dusk.

London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement they hadfound no evidence of gunfire, casualties or any suspects and that the incident, which lasted for just over an hour, had beenstood down.

"Given the nature of the information received, the Met responded in line with our existing operation as if the incident was terrorism, including the deployment of armed officers," theysaid in a statement.

British Transport Police posted CCTV images of two men onTwitter, saying they believed that an altercation had eruptedbetween the two men at the Oxford Circus underground station andsaid they would like to speak to the men, "who they believe may have information about the incident and the circumstances aroundthe incident."

A witness said panicked shoppers had fled OxfordStreet and Oxford Circus underground station.

The witness saw an elderly lady and a man carrying his childknocked over in the rush. "There were people running in alldirections. I didn't know which way to run," the witness said.

Britain's transport police said they had received a reportof one woman suffering a minor injury in the panic.

The capital's transport operator, Transport for London, saidOxford Circus and Bond Street stations, which had been brieflyshut due to the incident, had later reopened.