St George's closure: City centre shopping centre temporarily evacuated over 'security incident'

Barriers were closed at the shopping centre entrances and shoppers were guided out while retail managers investigated an incident this morning.

An update from Lancashire Police means the Post can now confirm a 'suspicious package' was reported in the centre. Read the update below.

The indoor mall, off main shopping street Fishergate, was forced to follow protocol and temporarily close as a precautionary measure following communications bosses had received of a package.

And drivers hoping to visit the centre were also met with closed barriers at the adjoining car park as investigations continued.

Officers from Lancashire Police were spotted at the scene.

The centre, which boasts 63 different retailers, then reopened its doors to the public a short time later, after the investigations had been completed.

A spokesperson for the shopping centre said: "There was a security incident this morning and the shopping centre was closed for a short period of time.

"The matter was dealt with swiftly by the centre team and the centre reopened at 9.45 am."

The shopping centre fell into administration in February this year, but shoppers were reassured that it would be 'business as usual' for retailers after lockdown restrictions had been lifted.

But just last month, August 31, the city's busiest shopping centre was then bought by Blackburn-based property company Adhan Group, which pledged to inject new life into it and construct an indoor food quarter.