ANTI-TERROR cops are investigating after a man smashed a car into a North London police station, resulting in a mass evacuation.
Police arrested the driver, in his 40s, after he doused a street in flammable liquid and set it ablaze outside Edmonton Police station on Wednesday.
The Met Police have confirmed that at about 7pm, “a vehicle was driven at the station office at Edmonton Police Station in Fore Street, Edmonton.
"A man, aged in his 40s, is then believed to have left the vehicle before attempting to pour petrol on the vehicle and set fire to it.
"He was apprehended and arrested by officers on suspicion of arson and a number of other offences.
"He is now in custody at a north London police station."
The spokesperson added that the crashed car remains in front of the cop shop, where it has been examined by specialist officers.
Counter-terrorism officers are "supporting the investigation", added the Met Police.
"No injuries to any police officers or members of the public have been reported."
Video footage shows the man pouring a liquid from a container onto the busy street moments after a car crashed into the police station at 7pm.
Standing in front of a double-decker bus - while onlookers watch in horror - he then sets the liquid on fire.
Witnesses can be heard shouting as a police car pulls up and officers run out to tackle the man at a bus stop metres away.
The man is then wrestled to the floor and officers are heard shouting "get back" before dousing the flames in the road using a fire extinguisher.
The police station was immediately evacuated and a large police cordon was initially put in place, including in front of the train station.
In a further update overnight, the Met Police said that, as of 10.30pm, officers have now returned to Edmonton station "and residents who were evacuated as a precaution have returned home.
"Train services were interrupted but have resumed.
"Road closures are still in place and motorists are advised to avoid the area."
Peter Allimadi, 30, from Edmonton, who works in Whitehall, told the Press Association (PA) news agency he heard "shouting, a loud crash and sirens from everywhere".
He said: "I came out of the Lidl to see what the commotion was about, police screaming instructions to citizens to back away, some scared shoppers, commuters and parents running from the scene."
Store manager Ogur Mazlum, 34, works nearby and witnessed the moment the car crashed into the cop shop.
His wife Serife Mazlum told PA that her husband, "literally just walked out (of his shop) to just call me and see if everything's OK at home.
"Then he said I have to shut the phone quickly… that was when the car crashed into the front of the police station."
Mrs Mazlum said her shocked husband realised that the vehicle had crashed through an exterior glass entrance to the police station, and a man was unable to enter through a second barrier despite his attempts.
"He was insisting on trying to get inside, but the glass door wouldn't break anymore so he couldn't get any closer," she added.
"Then he casually got out of the car with a tank of petrol.
"He poured it down from the car into the middle of the road and then he just set it on fire."
Mrs Mazlum, 32, added that "luckily" the man had "missed a spot" and the flaming petrol did not reach traffic which had stopped on the road nearby.
Cllr Nesil Caliskan, leader of Enfield Council, said: "I am aware that residents in the area will be shocked and anxious.
"I urge everyone to remain calm and try to avoid the area until the situation is fully resolved."
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Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted: "As always, very grateful to the police and emergency services for their courage and professionalism in responding so swiftly to the incident in Edmonton."
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Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, said on Twitter: "I'm grateful to the police officers and other emergency services who brought the situation under control and continue to investigate the incident."
Earlier this month, the terrorism threat level in Britain was raised to "severe", meaning an attack was seen as highly likely, after incidents in France and Austria, although the government said there was no specific threat.
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