Panicked shoppers run for cover as police evacuate Cardiff city centre after threats are made to hotel staff
- A large security cordon has been set up on St Mary Street in Cardiff city centre
- Police called in after threats were made to staff at a busy tourist hotel centre
- Panicked shoppers along with restaurant diners and pub-goers were told to stop what they were doing as large stores including House of Fraser were closed
A busy Christmas shopping street was evacuated by police tonight after a security alert at a city centre hotel.
A large security cordon has been set up on St Mary Street in Cardiff city centre with dozens of shops and businesses ordered to evacuate by police.
Police were called in after threats were made to staff at a busy tourist hotel centre – with staff and residents being evacuated from the Sandringham Hotel.
St Mary’s Street in Cardiff has been evacuated
Panicked shoppers along with restaurant diners and pub-goers were told to stop what they were doing as large stores including House of Fraser were closed
A large security cordon has been set up on St Mary Street in Cardiff city centre (pictured) with dozens of shops and businesses ordered to evacuate by police
Witnesses said it is feared a suspect may still be inside the hotel.
A South Wales Police spokesman said: ‘At around 3.15pm today officers received information that threats had been made to people in a city centre hotel.
‘Staff and a number of residents have now safely left the premises with no reports of any injuries.
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‘A police cordon is in place and a number of buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. The incident is on-going.’
Panicked shoppers along with restaurant diners and pub-goers were told to stop what they were doing as large stores including House of Fraser were closed.
A McDonald’s, Subway, Tesco, Oxfam and a string of independent stores in popular Morgan Arcade were also closed by police.
A police spokesman said: ‘South Wales Police is currently responding to an on-going incident in the St Mary Street area of Cardiff city centre.
Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens tweeted: ‘Please keep safe & follow *police* advice.’
Shopper Anton Belov said: ‘There are at least twenty police. People were being evacuated from McDonalds and other shops.
‘Police were shouting to people to move off street. About half of the street is taped off.’
According to WalesOnline, a police car was seen outside the Sandringham Hotel on St Mary Street.
Police officers were seen heading in through a door between the hotel and Ladbrokes next door.
There is also a heavy emergency services presence on Westgate Street, and at the the Principality Stadium [the national stadium for Wales) which are near the hotel.
The manager of Madam Wax, a waxing salon in the area, said that the business was evacuated by police as some customers were midway through receiving treatment.
They said that police had evacuated the building as a ‘precautionary measure’.
At 6.30pm police started to take down cordons and re-open St Mary Street.
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