People have been evacuated from a London theatre performance tonight as part of a ceiling collapsed.

Several people suffered minor injuries after the incident at the Piccadilly Theatre in the West End.

Journalist Martin George, 41, who was sitting in the Grand Circle, said there were screams coming from the audience as part of the ceiling came crashing down.

Mr George said: ‘About 10 minutes into the performance you could hear this slight dripping sound in the [Grand] circle and people were looking around, wondering what was happening, but the play carried on.

‘As the minutes passed, the dripping became more frequent and it sounded like more water was coming through the ceiling, causing a few people to get up and move.

‘The sound eventually got so loud that we stood up and started to leave, as we were wondering what was going to happen.

‘Then, as we stood up, this huge chunk of ceiling, about three to four metres across, crashed down.

‘There were people screaming at that point and everyone got up and streamed down the stairs.’

BBC reporter James Waterhouse tweeted: Part of the roof apparently caved in the first half of Death of a Salesman at the Piccadilly Theatre. A few screams. Everyone evacuated. Now waiting outside.’

The Met’s City of Westminster Police said on Twitter: ‘Police on scene with LAS & LFB at Piccadilly Theatre in Denman St #Westminster after reports of a ceiling collapse around 7.59pm.

‘Everyone is out of the theatre. A few people have suffered minor injuries.

‘Road closures in place.

‘Motorists advised to use alternative routes.’

More follows.

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