An unattended package which had to destroyed in a controlled explosion at Bluewater shopping centre last night has been described as “harmless”.
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After the Bluewater incident, the shopping centre tweeted: “The incident is now concluded and Bluewater is open”.
Earlier this evening, a bomb disposal team were seen arriving at the shopping centre in Stone.
Witnesses at the centre said the area evacuated ran approximately from Marks and Spencer to the food hall. Just heard a loud bang and people started running out’. It followed reports that an “unattended package” had been discovered.
Kent Police confirmed yesterday evening the package in question was harmless with the controlled explosion taking place as a precaution.
Kent Police officers began evacuating several stores after the package was found at around 5.30pm.
And, the Kent Police informed, “Controlled explosion carried out on unattended item”.
Investigations are being carried out to establish the reasons behind why the package was left unattended and who the owner was.
Ch Sup Andrea Bishop thanked everyone for their co-operation, adding: “The safety of the public is our top priority”.
Service has been halted on the Brussels subway system and heavily armed police and soldiers are patrolling the Belgian capital amid a high security alert.
In 2007, five men linked to al-Qaeda were jailed for life for planning to bomb Bluewater shopping centre.
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The alert came amid a reports police had found a cache of weapons and ammunition during a raid on an apartment a poor suburb of Brussels home to the suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks that killed 130 people.
