Town centre Parts of Croydon town centre were cordoned off today (Thursday) after reports of suspect packages at East Croydon station and the offices of HSBC bank.

The alerts came hours after as people heard news of seven blasts ripping through Tube carriages and buses in central London, killing at least 33 people.

Train services through East and West Croydon stopped and both stations were closed leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

Tram and bus services through central Croydon were also disrupted after the town centre was brought to a standstill.

Offices in Wellesley Road were evacuated after reports of a suspicious package at HSBC's Croydon headquarters and police maintained a cordon - blocking off Wellesley Road, George Street and the Underpass - and diverting traffic around the town centre.

Fire crews and ambulances remained on standby.

People gathered on street corners, sheltering from the rain under umbrellas and listening to their radios for news of events in central London, as they waited for the train stations to reopen.

Others decided to walk to South Croydon in the hope they could catch a train to their final destinations.

Train services resumed shortly after 2pm after East and West Croydon stations were reopened.

A police spokesman said a suspect package at the station was found to be an empty bag.

It is unclear what the current situation is in Wellesley Road but no one has been hurt.

The council's emergency control room has opened and officers are on standby to provide bed and breakfast or emergency accommodation or transport.

Schools remained open and the council was working with teachers to establish if any pupils may need accommodation overnight.

This weekend's Mela and World Party festival is currently under review. A decision is expected to be taken tomorrow about whether to go ahead with the event as planned.