Police have arrested a man following a siege in central London after it was reported that he entered a building with gas canisters strapped to him.
The scare sparked a major alert, with Tube stations closed, businesses evacuated and one of the capital's busiest shopping streets shut.
The suspect was removed from Shropshire House in Tottenham Court Road by police officers who then began searching the building.
"We have arrested a man at Tottenham Court Road. A search of the building is under way," the Metropolitan Police said. "We are not aware of any hostages at this stage. Search of the building continues on Tottenham Court Road."
The central London street was closed after police received emergency calls at midday.
Scotland Yard sent a hostage negotiator to the scene amid reports that the man was holding people captive inside the building several floors up. Pictures emerged of computer and office equipment being thrown through one of the office windows.
Abby Baafi (27) the head of training and operations at Advantage, a company which offers HGV courses, said the man targeted her offices and held four men hostage.
In a YouTube video by Stephen Hull, executive editor of news website Huffington Post UK, Ms Baafi said the man, calling himself Michael Green, entered her office.
"I recognised him because he was one of our previous customers but he is not quite stable - mentally stable," she said.
"He turned up, strapped up with gasoline cylinders, and threatened to blow up the office. He said he doesn't care about his life. He doesn't care about anything, he is going to blow up everybody," she said.
"He was specifically looking for me but I said 'My name's not Abby' and he let me go."
Ms Baafi said the man had failed the HGV training course and wanted his money back.
A computer monitor is thrown out of an office window on Tottenham Court Road in London. Photograph: Luke MacGregor/Reuters
Sarah O'Meara, who works for the Huffington Post, said they evacuated their offices in Capper Street after being alerted by a woman who ran into the building. "A woman ran in off the street saying 'There is a guy with a bomb and he is threatening to blow himself up' and that we needed to evacuate," she said.
A police officer stands on a street near Tottenham Court Road in London. Photograph: Luke MacGregor/Reuters
Rajesh Kalia, of Goodge Law solicitors, who works two floors below where the incident was unfolding in Shropshire House, relived the drama.
"We were in the office and suddenly we were told by the police that there was some problem in the building and asked to evacuate immediately," the lawyer said.
“The police were very clear about the instructions. There was no panic or anything but they were very firm and got everybody out of the building very, very quickly.
Agencies