Claim: London police are warning against using the Underground, citing the threat of an imminent terrorist attack.
FALSE |
Examples:
[Collected via email, August 2014]
Don't travel on the tubes tomorrow. Every single Police Officer in the
Metropolitan Office has been called into work from 4am onwards, even
people on holiday are being told to catch the next flight home. They think
there's a terror threat and that it will happen on the Tubes tomorrow
around the WestEnd London area. So don't go travelling on tubes!! Warn
your loved ones. It's better to be safe than sorry!!
[Collected on the Internet, 2005]
FW: IMPORTANT INFO REGARDING LONDON UNDERGROUND - STATEMENT BEING ISSUED FROM MET
The Metropolitan Police will be strongly advising everyone that the they will be putting officers on tube stations 24/7 for the next week as they highly expect another attack within this time.
The police force have been in meetings all morning and will be publicly confirming this later on this evening. They will be advising the public to avoid the tube at all costs for the time being.
This news will filter through to the media in the next few hours and if it is not in the Evening Standard it will be on the
Please take care on your journeys home, please pass this on to as many people as you know who use the Underground.
Piccadilly Circus & Leicester Square were closed for
PLEASE BE CAREFUL TRAVELLING
Origins: This advisory began appearing in inboxes everywhere on
Likewise, there were no mentions in the British press either of police issuing a warning about further possible terrorist activity involving that nation's transit system or of a controlled explosion being performed in the Piccadilly Circus & Leicester Square area on or around
Hereford.)
The Metropolitan Police put up a web page to keep the public informed regarding news about the suicide bombings of
No mention appeared on the Metropolitan Police's web site of a warning against further terrorist activity involving that city's subway system. The only warning that did appear on that site touted the Metropolitan Police's "Life Savers" anti-terrorist hotline and dates to
In response to the rumor, on 15 July 2005 the Metropolitan Police issued an express denial: "We are not aware of any specific threat at this time." Following the circulation of
Similarly, after the United Kingdom raised its terrorism threat level to "severe" on
Rumour control: The "alert" doing the rounds on social about all Met officers being called in for 4am tomorrow is a hoax.
— Sgt Nathan Shickle (@MPSBatterseaSgt) August 31, 2014
Social media contains lots of rumours regarding threats to tube network tomorrow. There is no specific threat so keep calm & carry on. 1/2
— Ch Supt Paul Brogden (@BTP_B_Division) August 31, 2014
Barbara "hoaxed folks" Mikkelson
Last updated: 1 September 2014
Sources: