The A243 Leatherhead Road in Chessington was closed in both directions on Sunday, November 8, after a police incident, with traffic moving slowly around the area.
The road was shut between the B280 Fairoak Lane and Barwell Business Park. The incident was first reported at around 12.59pm on Sunday, November 8.
The closure came as Chessington World of Adventures, which sits on Leatherhead Road, was reportedly evacuated following reports of a threat, with police officers and sniffer dogs at the theme park. The circumstances of the police incident on the road were not confirmed, and it was not known whether anyone had been injured or any arrests had been made.
The Metropolitan Police later said the incident at the theme park was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public. Transport for London confirmed bus route 71 was cut short during the incident, with no service between Copt Gilders Estate and Chessington World of Adventures.
Live coverage has now ended — updates from Sunday are below.
Drivers were advised to avoid the area and use alternative routes while the closure was in place. The road is a key route through Chessington in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, linking the town with Leatherhead to the south and Tolworth and the A3 to the north. Local buses and traffic on surrounding roads were also likely to be affected while the closure remained in force.
Full details of the reported evacuation at the theme park are in our earlier story — read it here. The reopening of the A243 was not confirmed in the live coverage. This article will be updated if that changes.
Updated: 09 November 2026
