Chessington World of Adventures closed and evacuated guests and staff on November 8 after police officers and sniffer dogs were seen around the resort, following reports of a possible threat that has not been confirmed.
Park evacuated after reported threat
Visitors and employees were told to leave the Leatherhead Road site earlier this morning, causing significant disruption. A closure notice released today said: "Chessington World of Adventures Resort is currently closed. Guests due to visit today are advised that tickets are being accepted at LEGOLAND Windsor or alternatively, you can contact our Customer Services team after 2pm today."
The notice added: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused and will provide a further update as soon as possible." According to the Daily Star, reports circulated that the incident was due to a "threat", but this has not been confirmed.
Police presence and public reaction
Police officers and sniffer dogs were spotted around the area, although the reason for the closure remains unclear. The Metropolitan Police urged the public not to speculate about the incident while enquiries are ongoing.
Chessington Buzz, a social media account providing updates on the park, said there had been a park-wide evacuation. It said: "We're aware there is a parkwide evacuation of Chessington currently and, as is often standard, the attendance of emergency services." It added: "Please listen to staff instructions if on the park/hotels."
One comment on the Chessington Buzz Facebook page read: "We were visiting today when the park got evacuated, credit to the team on the ground carrying out the evacuation it was done in a very quick and calm manner for what was probably a very scary situation for all involved." Another read: "We haven't long left. Security on exit wouldn't tell us anything & all staff we walked by didn't have a clue what had happened, police in car park about 3 cars and a police van."
Previous closure this year
This is not the first time the theme park has been forced to close this year. During the summer, the resort shut its doors because of a water outage in the area. The Daily Star has contacted Chessington World of Adventures for comment.
