Chessington World of Adventures Evacuated and Closed Following Security Threat

POLICY WIRE — Chessington, UK — The Chessington World of Adventures resort was forced to evacuate its visitors and suspend operations today following a police response to a security concern.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed they received a report regarding a threat targeting the theme park on Sunday morning, though an initial assessment determined that no immediate security risks were present.

A spokesperson for the Met stated that while the threat was evaluated, it is believed to be an isolated event that poses no broader danger to the general public.

Social media users documented visitors being turned away at the gates and cleared from the grounds, with various images showing law enforcement present throughout the resort.

In response to the closure, the park issued a statement advising those with tickets to travel to LEGOLAND in Windsor instead.

The resort noted that tickets for the affected day would be honored at the Windsor location, or guests could reach out to customer services starting after 2 p.m. for alternative arrangements.

The park expressed its apologies for the disruption and promised that further updates would be shared as information became available.

Traffic remains impacted on the A243 Leatherhead Road, specifically between Fairoak Lane and Barwell Business Park, due to unrelated ongoing roadworks in the area.

Merlin Entertainments, which operates the park, explained that they activated established safety protocols in coordination with the police to close the facility as a precautionary measure.

The company confirmed the incident is resolved and announced that the onsite hotel will reopen on Monday, November 9, while the park itself is scheduled to return on Saturday, November 14.

A representative emphasized that the safety of staff and guests is the top priority and expressed gratitude for the patience shown by visitors and the speed of the response teams.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)