Baker Street: 'Controlled explosion' carried out by police after abandoned car sparks station evacuation

Security alert: Police surround the vehicle, which appears to have had one of its windows shattered

Keith Hewitt/Getty Images

Sebastian Mann20 November 2015

Police conducted a controlled explosion on an abandoned car in a security alert that saw a major central London Tube station evacuated.

Met officers were called to Baker Street shortly after 8.30pm on Thursday after the vehicle was left in the middle of the road.

A large area was cordoned off and the nearby London Underground station was shut for more than an hour-and-a-half, with Transport for London citing a "security alert".

Witnesses reported hearing a "big explosion" as police dealt with the incident.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Leave <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bbcqt?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3119176-https://twitter.com/hashtag/bbcqt?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#bbcqt</a> recording to hear explosion and bang near Baker Street <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/breakingnews?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3119176-https://twitter.com/hashtag/breakingnews?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#breakingnews</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/actuallyscared?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3119176-https://twitter.com/hashtag/actuallyscared?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#actuallyscared</a> — James Wand (@james_wand) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/james_wand/status/667460403958517761" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3119176-https://twitter.com/james_wand/status/667460403958517761" data-vars-event-id="c23">November 19, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Woah big explosion, apparently was the police though <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BakerStreet?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3119176-https://twitter.com/hashtag/BakerStreet?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#BakerStreet</a> — Merry Christmatt (@Glamorous_Matt) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Glamorous_Matt/status/667460389123334144" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3119176-https://twitter.com/Glamorous_Matt/status/667460389123334144" data-vars-event-id="c23">November 19, 2015</a>

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman confirmed officers carried out a "controlled explosion" after being called to reports of an abandoned vehicle.