Two police officers treated for exposure to dangerous substance after emergency services called to early morning incident in Thornton Heath
Busy morning in A&E: Croydon’s main hospital has been at the centre of an emergency
Croydon’s main NHS hospital was locked down briefly earlier today following an incident in the early hours in which a woman “swallowed poison”, and two police officers who attended the incident are being treated for “chemical exposure”.
London Road at Thornton Heath, outside Croydon University Hospital, was closed to traffic and several bus routes diverted for several hours this morning as emergency services dealt with the situation.
But even after the roadblocks were removed, the emergency situation was effectively transferred inside the hospital building.
Two police officers exposed to the “hazardous substance” were under observation, according to the Metropolitan Police.
“Police were called at 03:46hours by London Ambulance Service to reports of a woman having ingested poison at an address in Thornton Heath.
“The woman was taken to a south London hospital by LAS where she was found to be in possession of a possible hazardous substance.
“Officers and the London Fire Brigade attended Mayday Hospital and safety cordons and closures were established while specialist officers examined the item and safety procedures were enacted.”
There have been no arrests, the police said, while the hospital says that it has remained open for patients.
A spokesperson for Croydon Health Services NHS Trust said: “Following an incident in Croydon this morning we have treated a small number of patients, including two police officers for chemical exposure.
“This was an isolated incident and Croydon University Hospital has remained open for patients throughout.”
The Met said that the London Fire Brigade had also attended the hospital.
“Safety cordons and closures were established while specialist officers examined the item and safety procedures were enacted,” they said. Fire crews from Norbury and Lewisham fire stations were called to the scene at 5.20am. LFB units are part of the capital’s civil defence arrangements for dealing with chemical spills and other toxic substances.
The firefighters “conducted a sweep of the premises to identify elevated readings of chemical substances” and “safely contained and removed a chemical from the scene”.
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