Xinhua News Agency / PA Images Xinhua News Agency / PA Images / PA Images

POLICE BELIEVE THAT the incident in London’s busy Oxford Street shopping area yesterday evening was caused by “an altercation between two men” – and that no gun shots were fired, despite claims made on social media.

16 people were hurt in the panic and the surrounding area was put into lockdown for over an hour.

One of the people caught up in the lockdown was Russell Brand – who posted this live video to Facebook from his location inside a Barclays Bank near Oxford Street.

The two minute video includes a story of Brand meeting a very calm Irishman during the initial panic

The comedian was almost taken aback by the stranger’s nonchalance:

“When I first arrived in the bank there was a guy here who said ‘I grew up in Ireland’ and he didn’t even look up from his laptop while people were running and panicking. ‘I grew up in Ireland, this will be nothing’”

Russell Brand Facebook Russell Brand Facebook

Brand spoke of “people running down the street, panicked and the spread of panic” – but this one Irishman in the bank was the exception.

He painted a picture of the 20 people in Barclays helping each other out while they were locked down:

People getting on with one another – there’s a Deliveroo driver in here with his box of food, there’s a young mum who’s got her kid with her that I think may have some difficulties – it’s an absolutely fascinating situation to see how people respond in crisis in the middle of an incident like this.

“Within an hour we’ll know more information, within two hours it will be analysed and the information will be given about what it means but now it’s a human incident where humans respond to their own emotions”

Russell Brand Facebook Russell Brand Facebook

It was an articulate and interesting take from Brand under the circumstances – with one Irishman emerging as the calmest of them all working away on his laptop.

DailyEdge is on Instagram!