The Westfield Stratford shopping mall in east London was evacuated on Tuesday afternoon following a security alert after a suspicious package was found, according to police. Shoppers and retail staff were asked to leave the mall, which is adjacent to London’s Olympic Park and home to brands including Hugo Boss, Apple, AllSaints, John Lewis, Kiehl’s and Karen Millen, while police investigated.
Around 12:10 pm local time, a suspicious package was reported and shoppers were ordered to leave the east London complex at about 1:45 pm. People stood on the roadside and in Queen Elizabeth II Park, the venue for the London 2012 Olympics, as the police bomb squad investigated the reports. According to a spokeswoman for London’s Metropolitan Police, “Nothing suspicious was found.” A spokeswoman from the Westfield Group later said the search stopped at 2:56 pm and stores resumed normal operation. Westfield Stratford has more than 250 shops and 65 restaurants and a cinema and 24-hour casino.