Several people have been injured and a man has been arrested after a car ploughed into pedestrians in one of London's busiest tourist areas.

Workers in a cafe close the incident told how people fled the scene in a panic as police evacuated the area.

Merilin Mueller, 20, said: "It just seemed like an accident because there was a police car. We couldn't see outside.

"Then there were loads of police cars and that's when all of these police came marching down saying, 'move, move'.

"They said, 'you need to evacuate'."

Her colleague at Brown and Rosie, Kayla Spark, 23, said: "They came into the shop really aggressively."

She added: "Someone outside said they heard what sounded like gunshots, but I think it was just the car colliding."

Dieon Rurora, 25, who also works in the cafe, said: "People were running down the street, falling over. It was quite scary."

He said he believed the car involved in the collision was a grey saloon, which is now boxed in behind four police cars, although he did not see the collision.

Read More: Man arrested after car hits pedestrians near Natural History Museum

An eyewitness at the scene said: "We were walking near the Science Museum and heard a bang, bang... at first I thought it was gunfire.

"Then we walked past the scene of the accident and saw a guy pinned down by other men and lots of people calling the police.

"There didn't appear to be many people hurt - a few sat by the side of the road but more looking shaken than anything.

"We were then ushered into the Science Museum and the area was quickly cleared of pedestrians."

Enamul Hoque was in a nearby Chinese restaurant when events unfolded.

He told Sky News he saw people running in Exhibition Road, adding: "Then all of a sudden ... a large gathering of policemen turned up in yellow vests, just clearing up the road (telling) people to leave the restaurant, leave bags behind.

"People just seemed panicky, panicked and running, really, I don't think anyone knew what was going on.

"There was a large contingent of policemen saying 'go, go, run, run'."

Minister for London Greg Hands said on Twitter: "Concerned at events at the Natural History Museum. Watching developments closely & thankful to our emergency services."

The Natural History Museum attracted more than 4.6 million visitors in 2016, while other popular attractions in the area are also on the list of must-see sights for visitors to the capital.

Exhibition Road in South Kensington, where the incident took place, is also home to the Science Museum as well as the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Those museums attracted more than three million visitors each in 2016, according to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions.

The Royal Albert Hall and Imperial College are also in the area, which was dubbed "Albertopolis" after the husband of Queen Victoria.

Prince Albert recommended that the proceeds of the 1851 Great Exhibition should be used to purchase the land south of Hyde Park for a new cultural quarter in the capital.