Man killed in police shooting after 'gunman enters Kensington bank'

11 December 2021, 17:56 | Updated: 12 December 2021, 16:42

A man has been shot and killed after police rushed to reports of a gunman entering a bank and bookmakers in Kensington.

The man was spotted getting into a vehicle and was brought to a halt by armed officers at the junction of Kensington Road and Palace Gate.

Shots were fired and the man sustained gunshot wounds, the Met said. He was treated by paramedics at the scene before being pronounced dead just after 4pm on Saturday.

The incident is not being treated as terrorism, but police are investigating who he is and will inform his next of kin, and the Met has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Man killed after armed police stop him

Road closures are in place and are likely to remain in place.

About ten vehicles were at the scene, which is cordoned off, and one officer expected to the route to be shut for the rest of the night. A tent has been put up.

"There is no risk to the public but roads are closed and are likely to remain so for some time," the Met said earlier, without elaborating on the incident.

"We will post a further update in due course."

Social media footage shows a number of police cars assembled in the area, with eyewitness reporting "three loud bangs".

Author and journalist Millie Kerr told MyLondon: "I wasn't there when the incident took place, but I got out of my Uber and started walking.

"I headed through the park and saw what I'm 95 per cent sure was paramedics giving chest compressions to at least one person.

"It was next to a car but I don't think it looked like a car crash had happened. The helicopter has just left the area in the last five minutes."

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We sent an ambulance, an incident response officer, a tactical response unit, a motorcycle response unit and an advanced paramedic. The London Air Ambulance car also responded.

"We treated a man on scene, who unfortunately died."