SHOPKEEPERS were told to stay indoors as armed police searched Catford Broadway for suspected armed robbers.

Police were called to reports of an armed robbery in a Catford Broadway supermarket on March 4 at 1.20pm.

Seven people were arrested at a nearby address and taken to south London police stations. They have since been bailed to return in June.

Broadway Cafe owner Saban Celik said: “We were told to stay inside the shop – not to leave via the front or back.

"We couldn’t even go out for a smoke. We could see police with guns searching the area.

“I was giving free tea and coffee to my customers who were stuck in the shop for over two hours.”

He added: “I closed the cafe early as no one could get in. At about quarter past four we were told that we could leave the cafe, but as soon as we did, we were told to go back in. After about five minutes we were let back out again.”