Police have arrested nine people and issued 34 dispersal orders after an incident on London’s Oxford Street, following social media rumours of planned disorder.
Two people were held in Essex for conspiracy to commit robbery following online social media posts, while others were arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and going equipped to steal.
In one incident, two young men were led away from near to a McDonald’s fast food restaurant in handcuffs, close to a shop rumoured to be the target of the disturbance.
Nearby shops including an optician and pharmacy closed their shutters briefly shortly after 3pm on Wednesday, as crowds gathered on the busy street.
The men, one wearing a green hoodie and the other a grey tracksuit, were apprehended by police before being handcuffed.
Traffic on the packed street was temporarily brought to a halt, until four mounted police alongside security personnel were able to disperse onlookers.
There was a heavy police and security presence on the popular shopping street in the build-up to the disturbance, after rumours of a planned disorder were circulated on social media.
City of Westminster Police said: “Throughout Wednesday, officers maintained a high-visibility presence within the Oxford Street area.”
It added: “Four people were arrested on suspicion of breaching the dispersal order, one person was arrested on suspicion of going equipped to steal, one person arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and one person was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence.
“Earlier in the afternoon, officers arrested two people in Essex for conspiracy to commit robbery following online social media posts.”
Dispersal orders provide the police with extra powers to break up groups of two or more people, where they believe their behaviour is causing a nuisance, harassment or distress.
Oxford Street is Europe’s busiest shopping street, with about half a million daily visitors.
