Bomb scare at Birmingham New Street's Apple Store forces mass evacuation
A BOMB scare at Birmingham New Street’s Apple Store has forced police to conduct a mass evacuation amid fears terrorists are trying blow up Christmas shoppers.
Police evacuated the Apple Store and surrounding Birmingham New Street are amid a bomb scare
Police cordoned off a large chunk of the bustling shopping area after a suspicious package was handed to staff in the Apple shop.
West Midlands Police said: “Police have cordoned off a section of New Street in Birmingham city centre as a precaution following reports that a suspicious package was handed in to the Apple store.
“The store has been evacuated as a precaution while specialist officers examine the package.”
At around 10am this morning it is believed a man walked into the shop and handed a package to a member of staff.
The employees deemed the mystery cargo to be potentially deadly and contacted West Midlands Police.
The Apple Store is near Birmingham's Christmas market and there were fears of a Berlin-style attack
The store is located near Birmingham's Christmas market so there are fears of a Berlin-style destructive attack at the festive site.
Both marked and unmarked police vehicles are at the scene, located at 128 New Street.
Specialist bomb disposal units were called to the scene but it is not clear if they have undertaken an examination of the suspicious package yet.
Police swarmed to the scene amid fears of a bomb handed to staff in the Apple Store
Travel chaos followed the Birmingham bomb scare with trains halted in their tracks
The evacuation caused travel chaos, with Virgin delaying trains and surrounding roads currently gridlocked.
It is believed the store has now reopened after several hours of panic and police have declared the area safe.