Armed Officers Under Fire in London
By Adam Fresco
The Times Online
Armed police have been shot at after being called to a square of residential homes in Chelsea, west London. The officers returned fire but it is not thought that anyone has been injured.
Police were called to the homes in Markham Square, off King’s Road, at 4.50pm by members of the public who had heard six or seven gunshots.
When both armed and unarmed officers arrived they were targeted by the gunman, or gunmen. The armed officers returned fire. Dozens of officers now surround the square, crouching behind cars and shields.
The King’s Road has been closed and shop managers along the stretch of road near to the square have been told by police to lock their doors and stay away from the windows.
Three members of staff have been locked in the health store Holland and Barratt. Shop manager Shan Nimalakumar, 36, said: “The police won’t let us anywhere near. We are now stuck in the shop. They said ’stay in the shop, lock the door and go to the back’. I saw about twenty cars turn up and police got out of them with guns. I can see at the moment about nine officers with guns but they are all around the square circling it in.”
Earlier today hundreds of children were kept in their classrooms after school in Slough as police hunted a man armed with a handgun who had been threatening to shoot pedestrians.
Residents said he fired three shots and held the weapon to another man’s head.
Several calls were received at around 2.45pm by terrified members of the public who are currently being interviewed by detectives.
It was initially thought that the gunman had gone into a block of flats which the police are searching.
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