British police evacuated an East London subway station on Saturday in a security alert and one eyewitness reported the smell of something burning.

The Metropolitan Police said officers were investigating a "security incident" at the Mile End station located on the city's Central and District lines in London's East End. They gave no further details.

Subway operator Transport for London said service on parts of the two lines had been suspended by a "customer incident" at Mile End.

Passenger Miguel Clarke told the British Broadcasting Corporation that uniformed officers had evacuated the station and the area had been cordoned off. Clarke said he smelled "something burning like rubber" inside the station.