Armed police officers are in a stand-off with a man who claims to have a gun and allegedly made threats to kill people in a suspected domestic dispute.
Homes and businesses have been evacuated, schools have been locked down and people have been urged to stay away from the area while police try to peacefully resolve the situation.
The incident started at around 8.30am, according to Metropolitan Police and was still ongoing at 3pm. A spokesman said: “Police were called at 8.32am on Tuesday, March 19, by a man who stated he would kill people. Officers attended Pagehurst Road near the junction with Addiscombe Road, Addiscombe.
“A man was found in a car at the location and when approached he intimated he had a firearm. Armed officers, London Ambulance Service (LAS) and London Fire Brigade (LFB) have attended the scene. Officers are attempting to peacefully resolve the situation.
Armed police, dog units and helicopters have been sent to Lower Addiscombe Road. LAS said it is working closely with the Metropolitan Police, which is leading the investigation.
Writing on Twitter, Sarah Jones, MP for Croydon Central, and Shadow Housing Minister advised people to “avoid the area”. One school, Oasis Academy Arena, has been updating parents every 30 minutes by text message. The school had been in partial lockdown but it was later decided that it was safe for children to go to lunch as normal as officers had the situation under control.