People ‘evacuated from South London homes for hours’ as ‘armed police’ attend incident

Police were called and people were evacuated from their homes for an emergency check on a resident who blocked a street in south London for nearly 12 hours.

Officers were called to a property on Stanstead Road in Catford just before 11pm on Wednesday following concerns for the welfare of a resident of the flat.

The Metropolitan Police said specialist officers and negotiators attended the scene and spoke with a man believed to be in his 20s who claimed to have access to explosives.

London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade also attended the meeting.

Police said the man suffered multiple injuries and was taken to hospital in critical condition.

A local resident said the road from Cranston Road to the Blythe Hill Tavern pub had been cordoned off and an internal cordon had been set up near the flat. Independent,

An eyewitness said residents living in the inner cordon on Stanstead Road were evacuated from their homes shortly after officers were called to the scene on Wednesday evening.

One resident said: “They just evacuated and reopened every door, every house.”

“Everyone was evacuated. We were all on the streets.”

He said the evacuees were taken to the nearby Ladywell Center but had been outside their homes since 11pm.

A statement from police said: “Several neighboring properties have been evacuated. Officers are at the scene and the cordon remains in place while investigations continue.

“The incident is not thought to be related to terrorism.

“The Met’s Professional Standards Directorate was notified and a mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”