A CROWD of people have been injured after a car hit pedestrians outside the Natural History Museum in London's South Kensington.
A man has been arrested after a black toyota Prius mounted the pavement and ploughed into a group of around 10 people before smashing into a silver car.
The arrested man was pinned to the ground by police in front of stunned tourists on Exhibition Road in west London shortly after 2.20pm.
Police put the area on lockdown and South Kensington tube station was sealed off. The nearby The Victoria and Albert Museum and Science Museum were also evacuated.
Counter-terror officers were brought in to investigate
Met Police later tweeted the incident was a "road traffic accident" and not terror.
Around eight ambulances are on the scene, along with armed response police vehicles.
Emergency officials said 11 people were injured and eight were taken to hospital for treatment.
An eyewitness at the scene said: "We were walking near the Science Museum and heard a bang, bang... at first I thought it was gunfire.
"Then we walked past the scene of the accident and saw a guy pinned down by other men and lots of people calling the police.
"There didn't appear to be many people hurt - a few sat by the side of the road but more looking shaken than anything.
"We were then ushered into the Science Museum and the area was quickly cleared of pedestrians."
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Whilst inquiries continue it is believed a car mounted the pavement and collided with a number of pedestrians.
"Eleven people were found at the scene with varying injuries and nine of them have been taken to hospital, and this includes the man that was detained by police.
"Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.
"The man detained by officers is currently under arrest and is in custody at a north London police station.
"The incident is a road traffic investigation and not a terrorist-related incident."
Earlier a spokesman told Reuters it was not being treated as a terrorism-related incident at this stage but police clarified this later.
The Natural History Museum tweeted: "There’s been a serious incident outside the Museum. We are working w/ @metpoliceuk and will provide an update when we have more information."
In a message on Twitter, Prime Minister Theresa May said: "My thanks to the first responders at this incident this afternoon and the actions of members of the public. My thoughts are with the injured."
The collision outside the Natural History Museum is "looking like a traffic incident", a Government source said just after 6pm.
Nearby Sloane Square tube station was evacuated and sealed off, but has since reopened.
Twitter user Mari told the Express that she was trapped in between Sloane Square and South Kensington stations on a London Underground train for over an hour.
She said people were "worried" and "restless".
The incident caused panic with witnesses taking to social media to express their concern.
One wrote on Twitter: "Just witnessed a car drive into people in London. Safe for now please message your friends if they're here near the national museum."
Another said: “Anyone knows what happened closed to natural museum in london? People running scared.”
Lesley Carter wrote: "Recommend steering clear of the NaturalHistoryMuseum - Police incident - man has mounted the curb in a car attempting to run people over."
A witness told Sky News: “When I heard the crash I saw people running. It was a bit panicky.”
James Foster wrote on Twitter that he was locked in a cafe in near South Kensington tube station.
Roxanne Dervliet, from Bristol, told the Sun Online: "We'd just walked past the museum and saw what looked like a car crashed into a building.
"There were 100-odd people running away. Police were directing people out of the way and I think one person started running and it set everyone off. I was shaking, my friend was crying. We're all shook up."
Eyewitness Greg King said: "A black Toyota went ploughing straight towards us and the crowd. At that point I thought it had lost control. It went spinning round and as it did that it smashed into a sign and knocked it over.
"In the meantime it hit at least two or three people. It then went careering across the road and smashed into the side of another car that brought it to a stop.
"People jumped out of the back of the car and everyone was running.'A member of the museum staff and a member of the public dragged him on the ground."
A BBC reporter said she saw “a car diagonally across the road, looking like it was going into one of the boulders on the side of the road”.
Police have asked that people avoid the South Kensington area.
London is on high alert after car, van and truck ram attacks across Europe in recent months.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "Details are still emerging and I have spoken with and am in close contact with Assistant Met Commissioner Mark Rowley and our other emergency services."
Mr Rowley is the head of UK counter-terrorism policing.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: "Very concerning reports from outside the Natural History Museum. My thoughts are with those injured and our thanks to the emergency services."