Armed cops evacuate packed shopping centre over ‘bomb’ ahead of England game… which turns out to be just a bag of tools
More than 2,000 people were led from the Lingostiere Centre after discovery of a gag with gas cylinders and aerosol cans
Armed cops have evacuated a busy shopping centre in the centre of the French city of Nice - where England are due to play Iceland this evening.
More than 2,000 people - including dozens of footie fans - were led from the Lingostiere Centre after cops thought an abandoned tool bag was a potential bomb.
But there was only gas cylinders, aerosol cans and a saw in the ordinary tool bag.
Cops stormed the building wielding machine guns and ordered everybody inside to leave following the chilling discovery.
The centre reopened at 3pm.
The Lingostiere Centre is just two miles from the city’s Stade de Nice where England will play Iceland at 8pm this evening.
Related Stories
According to France 3, a cashier found the suspicious bag just after midday.
Football fans are understood to have been inside the centre passing time before kick off.
Frederic Martinez, president of the traders at the shopping centre told France Bleu: “All merchants and customers escaped through emergency exits, ending up at the meeting point.”
He later said that the bag contained "tools used for routine maintenance."
These included a saw, aerosol cans, and the two small gas cylinders. He denied earlier reports that a detonator was found in the bag.
Martinez said: "Everybody was evacuated safely, and then we reopened for business at 3pm."
Today’s evacuation comes just two days after Nice Airport was evacuated following the discovery of a suspicious package.
In that evacuation soldiers reportedly screamed at travellers to leave the building as quickly as possible before carrying out a controlled explosion.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368.