Armed police have descended on a road in Lewisham, south London, and placed the high street under lockdown after a man was seen waving a large knife from a window. Images of a man wearing a dressing gown and leaning out of an upstairs flat while brandishing a large knife have been shared on social media. Other photographs taken from the scene this afternoon show a police cordon wrapped around shops opposite an HSBC branch on Lewisham High Street.
The branch of HSBC opposite closed as a precaution, and the bank said no customers or staff were involved. At least two officers in full protective gear and holding large guns can be seen towards the entrance of the bank. Further images show at least six police vehicles and a fire engine parked along the high street in between two cordons. Armed police were seen advancing toward the building shortly after 8pm.
Officers said they were called to a "disturbance" at roughly 10.45am and remain on scene alongside the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade. They are speaking to a man inside an address and have partially closed Lewisham High Street. The Met has confirmed officers have entered the address of a man on Lewisham High Street, and is looking to establish whether anyone else is inside. Witnesses have taken to social media site X to share further details about the scene.
One said: "Lewisham is crazy right now. Police are locked off the road and they have guns etc," while another referred to a "stand-off" involving armed officers. The nature of the incident is unknown at this stage. A food retailer at Lewisham Market said the stand-off had been going on since late morning. "It’s a waiting game,” she said. “He’s hiding himself around the corner because he knows they’re pointing guns at him,” the woman, who did not want to be named said. “At first nobody knew what was going on. They keep moving the police cordon back.".
Speaking to the Mirror, a friend of a neighbour living next to the property says she called the police several times on Sunday evening and the early hours of Monday morning. Amelia Goncalves from Kensington, west London, told us: "I called them the first time then they came and left. "They said there was nothing they could do and that they were going to call an ambulance for him but the ambulance never came. Then the noises got louder and louder and more aggressive so I called them again and they said they weren't going to come back.
"So it just went on for hours, him screaming. They said because they already dispatched someone to the incident that they weren't going to send another person. The first time I called was at 22:12 last time was at 02:11.". An HSBC spokesman said: "To clarify, the incident is not taking place inside the HSBC branch and no staff or customers are involved, however we have closed the branch as a precaution. This is a police matter, and we remain in communication with the local authorities.".
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Police were called to a disturbance on Lewisham High Street, at around 10.45am on Monday, 10 February. Officers are currently in attendance at the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade. “We are speaking to a man inside an address at the location. Enquiries are ongoing to establish whether anyone else is inside the property. Lewisham High Street section of the A20 remains closed while the incident is ongoing.”.
The force later wrote on X: "We are aware of social media reports about an incident in Lewisham High Street. Officers are currently in attendance at a residential address at the location speaking to a man inside the property.". A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: “London Fire Brigade are responding alongside the Metropolitan Police Service to a police incident on Lewisham High Street. The Brigade was called about the incident at 1056, and crews remain on scene.”.
A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “We were called at 10.48am today (10 February) to reports of an incident in Lewisham High Street, SE13. We sent an incident response officer and members of our Tactical Response Unit and Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene. We are responding alongside colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Service and London Fire Brigade and remain on scene as a precaution.”.
