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Shoppers were today evacuated from Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherd's Bush after police were called to reports of an unexploded World War Two shell at a nearby building site.

Police cordoned off Wood Lane as they investigated the device on the Westfield Two site in Ariel Way near the shopping centre just before 11am this morning.

The site is being developed to create more than 1,000 new homes, as well as shops and leisure facilities, which will cost around £1billion in total.

The unexploded shell was said to be 13.5 inches long and about six inches wide, the London Fire Brigade said.

Police and fire crews created an exclusion zone of 400 meters around the site while the shell was removed.

White City and Wood Lane stations were closed while officers investigated, Transport for London said.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area as roads were likely to be closed "for some time", police said.

One witness tweeted: "Westfield just got evacuated due to a bomb threat."

Office workers were also evacuated from nearby buildings following the security alert.

Worker Ricardo Gladwell tweeted: "This is a first: they just evacuated my offices near Westfield. No fire alarm. Police cordoning off road. Yikes!"

Despite initially being told to stay inside, BBC workers were later evacuated from Television Centre in Wood Lane while the device was investigated.

Will Park, a social media assistant for the BBC, said he and his colleagues had been told to go home following the alert this morning.

WW2 bomb found near Westfield Shopping Centre W12. Avoid area, Road and Rail traffic will be suspended for some time. Examination is ongoing — HammFul MPS (@MPSHammFul) July 8, 2015

@westfieldlondon being evacuated due to a bomb threat at White City pic.twitter.com/mdSH81UDsj — Neve Joanna (@Neve_J) July 8, 2015

He said he had seen a large number of police vehicles on the streets surrounding Television Centre as he tried to make his escape, but many roads remained blocked.

He told the Standard: "I was puzzled when I first heard about it. There did not feel like there was anything to stress about. There was a mixture of reactions between surprise and finding it a bit of a novelty."

She said: "Police were called to deal with an unexploded shell in White City.

"At 10.40am police were informed of the discovery of the large unexploded shell at a building site at Ariel Way, White City, W12.





"The Westfield Shopping Centre and a non-residential building at the location have been evacuated as a safety precaution.

"There is also serous disruption to roads in the area and local train stations are also affected."

Paramedics were also called to the scene "as a precaution" but there were no reports of any casualties.

Fire engines arriving at the location of this discovery in #Whitecity pic.twitter.com/Y6QFVfx6pL — Fred Bhat (@FredBhat) July 8, 2015

Chris Hawkswell, an emergency planning officer for the London Ambulance Service, tweeted: "A duty officer & @LAS_HART are at a police incident in #ShepherdsBush. Wood Lane is closed to traffic, avoid the area".

At 12.30pm, Hammersmith and Fulham Police said the situation had been "resolved", but people were advised to expect delays in the area.

A spokesman tweeted: "Situation has been resolved, all evacuations and closures are removed. Congestion expected while area returns to normal".

In a statement at 1pm, Scotland Yard said the shell had "been removed by specialist officers for examination".

A spokeswoman said: "Following the discovery of what was believed to be an unexploded ordnance at a building site in Ariel Way the item has been removed by specialist officers for examination. The matter has now been stood down.



"Cordons and local road closures have been lifted but congestion in the area is likely for some time."