Shoppers are avoiding busy times at Westfield in White City after the shopping centre was named as a target for al-Shabab terrorists.
In a 76-minute video a man, claiming to be from the Al-Qaeda linked terror group in Somalia, says Oxford Street should be targeted as well as "any of the 100 or so Jewish-owned Westfield shopping centres dotted around the Western world".
Speaking with a British accent, the man - with a black and white kaffiyeh-type scarf wrapped around his face and wearing a camouflage jacket - adds: “Take the Westfield shopping centre in Stratford or in White City for example, what would be the implications of such an attack? One could only imagine. And all it takes is a man with full determination of which our Muslim omar has plenty of.”
In the background of the video appears the geographical co-ordinates for both of London’s Westfield shopping centres.
Shoppers told getwestlondon they are concerned about the threat but it had not put the majority off going to the centre.
Gillian Polimis, 47, of Chelsea, said: “They’ve got more security around the centre. I definitely wouldn’t come after 3pm when it becomes really busy, or at the weekend. If the threat is real they’re going to want to make the biggest impact so I’m staying away when it’s busy.”
James Logan, an IT worker at nearby BBC, said: “We have to take it as a real threat because of Paris but it’s not going to stop me going about my daily business. However they’ve stepped up security at the BBC.”
Omid Nash, 21, visiting from Delaware, USA, said he was not worried because he had lived in the Emirates and "if it’s going to happen it will" but it would not keep him away.
In a statement, Westfield London said: “There is no evidence of an imminent threat to our shopping centres but as always Westfield Corporation will take every available step to keep our shopping centres safe for staff, retailers and customers.
“Westfield Corporation’s policy is to not publicly discuss security procedures, however our heads of security in the US and UK continue to coordinate their activities with police and government agencies.
“As usual significant resources continue to be devoted to security arrangements in our shopping centres and they continue to operate as normal.”
The Metropolitan Police are trying to verify the authenticity of the video which also urges fellow Muslims to carry out terror attacks in the Mall of America, in Minnesota, and the West Edmonton Mall, in Canada.
