London attacks live: police respond to two terrorist incidents

Police have advised those near London Bridge and Borough Market to "run, hide and tell". They should try to flee or barricade themselves in a safe space with their phones turned on. When it is safe, people should ring police to update them. 

The Metropolitan Police have tweeted that the incident at Vauxhall was an unrelated stabbing.

But police said at 12.25am local time the incidents at London Bridge and Borough Market were declared to be terrorism. 

They are urging Londoners to avoid those areas. 

In a statement, the Prime Minister said: 

"Following updates from police and security officials, I can confirm that the terrible incident in London is being treated as a potential act of terrorism.

"This is a fast-moving investigation. I want to express my huge gratitude to the police and emergency services who are on the scene. Our thoughts are with those who are caught up in these dreadful events. 

The US president pledged on Twitter to help London in whatever way needed. But first he repeated his argument for a US ban on immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has been told the attacks around London Bridge are being treated as a terrorist incidents by British Police and early reports suggest no Australians have been involved.

Ms Bishop says she has been in contact with UK High Commissioner Alexander Downer shortly after reports of two emergency incidents in London - one on London Bridge involving a van as well as a knife attack at nearby Borough Market. Police are responding to a third incident in Vauxhall.

"I have just received a text from our High Commission in London that tells me British Police are treating it as a terrorist attack," Ms Bishop told Sky News on Sunday.

"So until we know otherwise we can assume that this does follow a similar pattern to those we have seen elsewhere."

The BBC has reported several eyewitness accounts of stabbings near Borough Market.

A security guard, who did not wish to be named, said he saw four people stabbed by three attackers.

Another man, called Ben, said: "I saw a man in red with quite a large blade, I don't know the measurement I guess maybe 10 inches. He was stabbing a man...he stabbed him about three times fairly calmly."

"Police at the cordon at the south side of London Bridge says there is more than one fatality", the BBC report in their live blog. 

The BBC said it understood police were searching for three suspects. 

London Bridge and Borough Market are several kilometres away from Vauxhall, the latest incident to be reported. 

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says she has spoken with Australia's High Commissioner, Alexander Downer, about the incident.

"He has activated our consular support. He has made contact with all our employees and their families at the High Comission and so far we have had no reports of any Australians involved," she told Sky News.

It is too early to definitively say whether this is a terrorist incident, Ms Bishop said.

"We have seen this pattern before, including in the Westminster Bridge attack earlier this year. 

"I was in New York a couple of weeks ago when a similar incident - occurred where a car ploughed into pedestrians in Times Square - but it ended up being a case of drugs and alcohol, it wasn't a terrorist incident."
 

Police have tweeted telling people in the London Bridge, Borough and Vauxhall areas to run away, turn their phones on silent, and barricade themselves. They should then call police when it is safe to do so. 

Latika Bourke lives in the neighbourhood and is reporting from the scene.

A witness told the BBC she saw a speeding white van veering into pedestrians. The witness said the van hit five to six people.

Reuters television pictures showed dozens of emergency vehicles in the area around London Bridge.

London's transport authority said London Bridge rail station had been closed at the request of the police.

Police say they are dealing with an incident that happened around 10pm on Saturday, local time, but gave no further details while the London Ambulance Service said it was sending multiple resources to the incident. A Reuters reporter near the scene said she saw 10 police cars rushing towards London Bridge.

One witness told Reuters that she saw what appeared to be three people with knife wounds and possibly their throats cut. This has not been confirmed by police.

British police have rushed to an emergency incident on London Bridge after a van ploughed into pedestrians on Saturday night.