Man arrested under Terrorism Act as Barking shopping centre evacuated

A packed shopping centre was evacuated and a man has been arrested under the Terrorism Act after police swooped in east London.

The man was stopped by police at Vicarage Field Shopping Centre in Barking shortly before 10.30am on Wednesday.

Officers arrested him for obstructing a search under the Terrorism Act and assaulting a police officer, the Met Police confirmed.

A spokeswoman added that he has been taken to an east London police station.

She said: "A bag that he had with him has been left at the scene and will be assessed by specialist officers."

The incident is not thought to be linked to Tuesday's terrorist attack at Manchester Arena.

The shopping centre was evacuated and roads around it were cordoned off for two hours while officers assessed the situation.

Photos and video footage taken at the scene show crowds gathering by the police cordon as police descended on the scene.

The incident happened at around the same as a man was detained outside Buckingham Palace in a dramatic swoop by police, after which police confirmed a knife was recovered.

Meanwhile soldiers were put on guard outside Buckingham Palace and Downing Street on Wednesday as Britain was placed on lockdown.