Police thank public after Lewisham High Street closure prompted by ‘mental health’ incident

A senior officer from the Met has thanked local residents for their patience while officers dealt with a disturbance on Lewisham High Street yesterday.

Police were called at around 10.45am, when a cordon was quickly put in place to ensure the safety of the wider public and a man who was inside a property, while officers worked closely with the London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service.

Officers gained entry to the property shortly after 2.30am this morning and detained the man, who was alone in the address. He was taken to hospital following his arrest on suspicion of affray and threats to kill.

Enquiries remain ongoing.

Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry, who leads policing in the Met’s South East Area, said: “I appreciate the incident in Lewisham High Street yesterday caused a lot of concern for residents and I would like to thank them for their patience.

“To clarify, this situation did not involve any hostages and our specially-trained officers engaged with a man who was believed to be suffering with a mental health crisis.”

Pictured top: Videos circulating on social media showed a man waving a knife from a window (Picture: Bikram Gahatraj)