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A busy south-east London commuter hub was evacuated as police responded to a security alert.

British Transport Police officers were investigating a suspect package at East Croydon station on Monday evening.

A spokesman for the force said special response units were on scene from about 7pm.

Trains were not able to pass through the station while emergency services responded to the incident.

At about 8pm, police declared the item was not suspicious and said the station would reopen shortly.

Scores of passengers were caught up in queues at Gatwick Airport as they waited for trains to East Croydon and to London to resume.

Katie Harrison shared video footage of crowds waiting for trains in the airport's South Terminal station.

Commuters on trains that were halted outside East Croydon said they had been told services would not resume until at least 8pm.

Steve Jones wrote on Twitter: "If you're travelling from Gatwick into London, avoid East Croydon. It is closed due to a bomb scare. We are now backing up to Purley."

Mariella Kennedy said: "Currently stuck on a Southern Rail train at Balham because of the East Croydon security alert, hope everything's ok."

Ed Dymott: "Just been told bomb squad are at East Croydon and we are stuck on train until 8pm until the earliest."

A British Transport Police spokesman said: "We were on scene at East Croydon station. Our specialist officers were investigating a suspect package.

"The item has been declared non suspicious."

The security alert was affecting Southern Rail, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services.