Dozens of police, many armed with machine guns, hunted three men in Wanstead on Tuesday night following a chase in which they crashed a car into a garden wall.
Witnesses said the men ran out of the car, in which there was a gun. One of the men escaped into a house on Elmcroft Avenue. Armed officers and dogs searched gardens and surrounding streets while a police helicopter circled above. Unconfirmed reports said a shot had been fired.
One eye-witness told Wansteadium: “Armed police with machine guns currently all over Elmcroft Avenue with Limes Avenue. Their car had smashed into a garden wall during a chase. At least 15 police cars here. Two young men arrested and searching for a third. It is chaos.”
The witness added that though he had not heard the shot himself, he said someone living near the crash had told him she had heard it.
One report speculated on a link between the chase and an incident at the Our Lady of Lourdes primary school playground this afternoon in which police chased two men, but this is unconfirmed. The children apparently had to be kept in one of the school buildings until the chase was over. [Update Weds: This incident is now thought to be unrelated to the Elmcroft Avenue one.]
- Got more information or pictures? Send them to info@wansteadium.com
Andrew Bruce
Oh my goodness Wanstead what is going on ð¢ that’s the 3rd incident this week I’ve read about scary things happening.
Anja Hohmeyer
They were in my back garden and my neighbours
The white lights are the tips of automatic machine guns
Flippin’ Nora!
Oh my Paul, is that your house?
No, it’s the one across the road, very lucky. My partner was walking our daughter back from nursery when the car crashed about 30 metres in front of her
Banksy been causing problems? Carlton Jones Richard Shaw Victoria Jech
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Maureen Alexander
Maureen Alexander
Andy Eckton!
Good heavens! I was wondering why the police helicopter had been buzzing about for so long….
Preeti Sohota
Oh my god- so close to home! Thankfully I didn’t hear the machine guns!
Matt Wicks
It’s finally quiet.
Bill Healy Nicola Rice Aoife Flanagan
Sarah, Robin – have you heard about this….?
Yes, one of my friends was a police officer at the scene. Will tell you more offline. Hope you are all OK.
They were arrested in our back garden, Robin. Glad to say Len and I were up in town for the evening and our neighbours rang to let us know what had happened. Our side gates were smashed so the police could get them out.
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/14836891.Armed_police_chase_through_Wanstead_street/
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/wanstead-armed-police-search-back-gardens-in-hunt-for-men-who-fled-after-dramatic-car-chase-a3384736.html
Hannah Collins. Josh Collins
This is what happens when a certain stimulating powder takes hold of a local community with devastating effects!!!
No, not that one – coffee! Another coffee shop has opened on the High Street.
Shahzad Afzal
Wondered why the police helicopter was overhead for so long, now I know, thank god wasn’t last night with trick and treating.
Mel Schartau Burgess
Omg ð³ð³
Omg
Thank goodness it wasn’t last night trick & treating!!
Barbara Schartau
Georgia Creasey show nan and your mum this! X
Just showed them! Nan said ‘Oh my goddd’ haha I’ve tagged her so she can show grandad on the iPad x
Georgia Creasey thanks Hun! It’s unbelievable xx
Why do I always miss the excitement? Didin’t even hear the helicopter.
Me neither !
You get so used to hearing the police helicopter overhead you never know when it’s going to be the real thing.
Amber Leah !!!!
Robert Molloy you all okay over there?
Fareeha Qureshi Saima Ali
I didn’t hear anything!
Abbey Leigh Tonks this is what the helicopter was doing whilst we were chatting. ð§
Barbara Schartau
Zuzi Ravasova
I’m probably being thick here …… but why do people keep posting random names to this thread?
I’ve asked about this before. Told its to do with some auto feed from Facebook when FB users pass on links. Very irritating but not yet enough it seems to be switched by management.