6:17pm UK, Thursday July 21, 2005

Armed officers were sent to University College Hospital amid reports of a man seen with wires sticking out of his pocket.

It was reported an internal memo was sent to staff warning them to be on the lookout for a black male, possibly of Asian origin, about 6ft 2ins tall wearing a blue top with wires protruding from the back of the top.

57 man in blue top at UCL - terror incident

Police checked people at UCH

Staff had been urged to phone 999 if they saw the man and not to approach him, it was claimed.

However, hospital leaders denied the memo was sent, saying it was a "rumour".

But just 20 minutes later, armed officers were sent back into the building.

Police said they attended an "incident" at the Bloomsbury hospital, which is near Warren Street station.

Three armed officers had been seen entering the major incident unit just minutes before a person was carried from an ambulance into the unit on a stretcher.

There were reports that someone had been seen "running away" from Warren Street station in the wake of the incident there.

However, Metropolitan Police chief Sir Ian Blair later said the incident was unconnected to the attempted explosions on London transport services.