POLICE have said there is "no evidence of a firearms discharge" after reports a suspected gunshot hit a taxi containing a British journalist.
Ian Hislop – who has been editor of Private Eye since 1986 – was in the taxi on Tuesday morning when the driver reported hearing what he believed was a bullet hitting and damaging his window.
Both the black-cab driver and Hislop, who was in the rear of the cab, were left uninjured.
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The Met Police have said they are continuing to investigate the circumstances around the incident, adding that Hislop (below, left) "wishes to thank everyone for their concern".
Hislop is the veteran editor of the weekly magazine Private Eye, famed for its satirical pieces and investigations. He is also a regular and long-serving panellist on the BBC comedy quiz Have I Got News For You.
The statement from the Met Police on behalf of Hislop continued: “He can confirm that there was an incident in a taxi yesterday in which a rear window shattered, and the police are investigating.
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“They were initially looking into the possibility of a shot having been fired but have now indicated that there may be another more innocent explanation for what happened.”
He also sent his thanks to officers and “all who contacted me”.
The incident occurred on London’s Dean Street at around 10am on Tuesday, a location close to the Private Eye office. Police are keeping an open mind as to any motive, a source told The Guardian.
Roads were closed around the scene as police searched the area and officers will examine any CCTV.
When reports initially broke, a spokesperson for the Met Police said: “Police were called at 10.10am on Tuesday, October 1 to a report of a firearms discharge on Dean Street, Westminster.
“The driver of a London black taxi reported he was stationary in traffic when a shot was fired towards his vehicle, striking the window.”
They added: “There were no injuries. An investigation has been launched.”
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