Police released a statement saying the package was ultimately found to be “non-suspicious” and allowed shoppers back into the complex. Keep reading to find out more!

Stratford Westfield shopping centre evacuated

On Wednesday 8 May, London police evacuated the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre in East London after being “alerted to a possible suspicious item” in the building at 10:15 am.

Shoppers were told to evacuate and wait outside of the complex. Photos posted to social media showed hundreds of shoppers waiting on the steps outside of Westfield. Other photos showed police cars responding to the incident alongside the London Fire Brigade and the Incident Response Unit, a division of the NHS ambulance services that responds to major incidents.

Bomb scare Stratford Westfield incident today

In a statement, Metropolitan Police confirmed they had located the suspicious item, but that it “was found to be non-suspicious” and, after standing down at 11:25 am, allowed shoppers to enter the building again.

Westfield Stratford has yet to release a statement on the incident.

Stratford news crime rates

While Stratford is known for violent crimes such as theft and s*xual offenses, the number of incidents of crime has steadily declined over the last three years. According to data from the Metropolitan Police, crime in Stratford for 2024 decreased from 358 incidents in January to just 1 incident in February. Police recorded no reports of crime in March.

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Published by HOLR Magazine.

Image Credit: @lee_omara83 X @MystMadeit X