Telford shopping centre was evacuated on Friday following a 'serious threat' - this is what happened
A mass evacuation of Telford Shopping Centre threatened to derail the start of the town's hotly-anticipated Balloon Fiesta, after an anonymous call to police making a "serious threat".
The centre was evacuated at about 2pm on Friday after the call was made, and police quickly swarmed the site and taped off the centre.
Hundreds of people milled around outside until the news came through just before 5pm that the police search had found "nothing suspicious".
A spokesperson from West Mercia Police said: "Our searches of Telford Shopping Centre have been completed and nothing suspicious was found, and the Balloon Fiesta will go ahead as planned.
"Thanks again for everyone's patience and cooperation today, and if you're attending the Balloon Fiesta this weekend we hope you have a great day.
"Remember, if you see anything suspicious or that doesn't feel right please report it to security or the police immediately."
The entire centre was evacuated at about 2pm after the anonymous call came in.
While hundreds of workers and shoppers were moved behind the cordon, public address systems repeated the reminder that it was an emergency, and people must evacuate the building.
As people waited on pavements the sound of the address could be heard echoing around the town centre on repeat.
