Met Police are on the scene of a traffic collision in Covent Garden, with witnesses reporting that a black cab has mounted the pavement.

Officers confirmed that there had been a “serious injury accident” involving a taxi, but said it is not thought to be terror-related. 

Police are “aware of injuries”, the force reported, but are awaiting further confirmation.

The driver of the taxi was stopped at the scene and has been detained by police, Scotland Yard said in a statement.

Police on scene at Covent Garden dealing with serious injury accident involving a taxi. Not Terror related. Further updates will follow.
Photographs from the scene appeared to show the taxi mounted on a busy central London path.

Witnesses reported seeing a number of casualties in the wake of the incident, with the London Ambulance Service confirming that they have crews on the scene.

Just came within meters of being hit by a vehicle that mounted the pavement and ploughed into people. #CoventGarden people down under taxi ? pic.twitter.com/1J9dtK7xUb

November 1, 2017
More police, area around cab clear. Seems to be no danger but still lots of officers around and keep asking people to leave #coventgarden pic.twitter.com/GXDcIWiHUz

November 1, 2017
Transport for London confirmed on social media that a collision had taken place on Southampton Street near Covent Garden Jubilee Market.

In a further statement, the Met Police said they were called just after 5pm to “reports of a taxi collision with pedestrians in Southampton Street WC2”.

According to witnesses, panicked pedestrians fled the scene in the wake of the incident.

London has been on a heightened state of alert after a number of vehicle-related incidents in the capital this year.

In March, Khalid Masood injured 50 people and left four dead when he drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge near the Houses of Parliament.

Masood stabbed an unarmed police officer to death before he was fatally shot by police.

In a second terror attack in June, eight people were killed and 48 more were injured when three terrorists ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge before going on a stabbing spree in Borough Market.