Bag sparks bomb scare

Part of Cambridge city centre was cordoned off and buildings evacuated this afternoon after an abandoned rucksack sparked a bomb scare.

Police were called by a member of the public who spotted the bag in the Petty Cury area close to the Grand Arcade shopping centre.

A bomb disposal squad was called to investigate and a controlled explosion was carried out.

A fire crew and the ambulance service's hazardous area response team were also on standby.

Russell Hookey reports.

Emergency services are on stand-by in the centre of Cambridge after an abandoned rucksack sparked a bomb scare.

The Lion Yard and Grand Arcade shopping centres are believed to have been evacuated and police cordons are in place on nearby streets.

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Fire Service, which has one crew on the scene, said a bomb squad had arrived within the last half an hour.

She said they had been called in following reports of a rucksack which had been abandoned at the Grand Arcade.

East of England Ambulance Service spokesman Gary Sanderson confirmed it had received a call at 2.13pm to a report of a suspect package.

He added: "The trust's hazardous area response team (HART) are at the scene liaising with their emergency service colleagues as a precautionary measure."

There is understood to be a 100m cordon in place around Grand Arcade in Cambridge following reports of a suspicious package.

Bomb disposal teams have been dispatched, police are expected to be in the area for several hours.