Chessington World of Adventures was evacuated and closed today after emergency services responded to reports of a threat at the Leatherhead Road resort, causing significant disruption to visitors.
Guests and staff were instructed to leave the site earlier this morning. Police officers and sniffer dogs were seen in the surrounding area, though the precise nature of the incident behind the closure remains unclear.
Closure notice and park-wide evacuation
A closure notice issued today stated: "Chessington World of Adventures Resort is currently closed. LEGOLAND Windsor or alternatively, you can contact our Customer Services team after 2pm today. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and will provide a further update as soon as possible."
A social media account providing updates on the park, Chessington Buzz, confirmed there had been a park-wide evacuation, stating: "We're aware there is a parkwide evacuation of Chessington currently and, as is often standard, the attendance of emergency services." The message went on to say: "let the teams do their jobs", reports the Daily Star.
Incident details and police response
Reports have been circulating that the incident was triggered by a "threat", though this has yet to be officially confirmed. The Metropolitan Police has urged members of the public not to speculate about the incident while enquiries remain ongoing.
The Daily Star has approached Chessington World of Adventures for comment. This is not the first occasion this year the attraction has been compelled to close following operational difficulties. During the summer months, the theme park and resort was obliged to suspend operations due to a water supply failure affecting the locality.
Wider context of security alerts
The incident follows multiple European services being subjected to bomb threats throughout recent days. The significant surge in security alerts emerges against a backdrop of escalating international tensions, with Western intelligence chiefs maintaining heightened vigilance over suspected foreign "hybrid warfare" operations and coordinated sabotage attempts. Both Moscow and Tehran have categorically rejected orchestrating the disruption.
In one alarming episode, Aer Lingus service EI420, which departed Dublin at 6.20am heading towards Rome, transmitted universal distress alert code 7700 roughly 90 minutes after take-off. A French fighter aircraft was dispatched to intercept the commercial aircraft, compelling it to land at the Evreux airbase in Normandy. The office of French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu acknowledged authorities are monitoring the developing situation closely.
Services arriving from Copenhagen and Madrid executed unexpected landings in Sofia, while a third aircraft departing London was diverted into Plovdiv. Airports throughout the remainder of the continent experienced comparable disruption as the warnings continued. In the Czech Republic, police deployed resources for four arriving commercial aircraft heading for Prague, implementing emergency protocols on the runway despite assessing the threat level as minimal.
