Guardian:
14:44
‘Security alert’ at Blackfriars as police block roads
There seems to be a security alert much closer to home. A tweet warns that armed police are out near Southwark station, just south of the River Thames in London.
My colleagues are investigating this latest incident and we will hopefully have more details soon.
14:48
Carmen Fishwick Carmen Fishwick
Brussels is on lock-down, with its metro, shopping centres and public buildings all closed for the weekend. The public has been warned to avoid “places where a lot of people come together†by government officials, and there is visible army presence on the street.
Guardian readers are sharing their experiences of what it’s like living in a city on with warnings of a “serious and imminent†threat of an attack. If you’re in Brussels, tell us what’s happening where you are.
Guardian reader europhoric, is in Molenbeek, the suburb of Brussels which was home to two of the Paris gunmen.
It’s been an interesting experience this week, with news reports on the BBC from outside my metro station and articles in the New York Times mentioning streets I often walk down.
I’m currently at home – the closure of the metro means I’ve had to abandon my plans for the day – watching the news, and can see a police helicopter flying low out of my window. The street is empty save for the occasional passing car.
The sudden attention focused on where I live doesn’t reflect my daily experience of Molenbeek, which is for the most part is a fairly quiet part of town albeit with significant unemployment and deprivation. Now the entire city is in a sort of lock-down, with shops and public buildings closed.
I was awoken by a phone call from my employer who is a British official body telling me that our offices may be closed for security reasons next week. Government ministers are now talking about sending police to search every house in Molenbeek in the near future. It’s a strange feeling.
BBC:
14:57
More tweets are being posted about the unfolding situation in south London, where armed police have cordoned off Blackfriars Road, close to Southwark tube station.
Details of the incident are still unclear and we are waiting for more information from Scotland Yard, ...
Government ministers are now talking about sending police to search every house in Molenbeek in the near future. It's a strange feeling....
Sounds as if they have very specific info on something more serious than Aks and grenades....
The “Guardian reader” sounds surprised that Molenbeek is a focus of government attention given the terrorism threat. From what I’ve read it’s a well-know haven for Muslim extremists and has had a problem with jihadis leaving to join ISIS.