Man 'armed with machete' sparks evacuation of Birmingham's Bullring shopping centre

24 June 2020, 11:34

The Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham was evacuated today following reports of a man armed with a machete.

Workers and shoppers were ordered out of the complex in Birmingham city centre as police and other emergency services arrived at about 8.30am on Wednesday.

In a statement issued about an hour after the alert was first triggered, the centre's owners said: "We can confirm that the centre has now fully reopened.

"Thank you for your patience."

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "The Bullring was evacuated briefly this morning after a 28-year-old man, armed with a machete, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.

"A bag left in the centre was initially thought to be suspicious, but found to contain toiletries, and the shopping centre has now reopened."