British police responds to false bomb alert
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British Police Respond to False Bomb Alert
London, UK - British police responded to a false bomb alert at a busy shopping center in London on Saturday afternoon, causing widespread disruption and panic among shoppers.
The alert was received at around 2:30 pm local time, with police receiving a call claiming that a bomb had been left at the Westfield London shopping center in Shepherd's Bush. The center was evacuated immediately, with shoppers and staff being told to leave the premises.
Emergency services, including police, firefighters, and ambulance crews, were quickly dispatched to the scene. The area was cordoned off, and a bomb disposal unit was called in to investigate.
However, after a thorough search, no explosive device was found, and the alert was deemed to be a false alarm. The shopping center was reopened, and shoppers were allowed to return to their activities.
"We understand that this incident may have caused concern and disruption to shoppers and staff, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused," said a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Service. "We take all reports of this nature seriously and are working to identify the source of the false alarm."
The incident is the latest in a series of false bomb alerts in the UK in recent weeks. In January, a similar alert was received at a shopping center in Manchester, which was also found to be a false alarm.
The British police have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.