UPDATE:

A tweet from Cambridgeshire Police has confirmed that nothing suspicious has been found. The tweet reads:

Explosives experts find nothing suspicious following a controlled explosion in #Cambridge city centre- cordons to be removed soon

Cambs police (@CambsCops) October 26, 2013

Original Article  –  3:30pm

Weekend shoppers were interrupted this afternoon when areas of the Cambridge city centre had to be evacuated by the police after a suspicious package was found in a bin at around 1pm.

The bomb scare led to both the Grande Arcade and Lion's Yard shopping centres being closed and the surrounding area, including Petty Cury, placed behind a police cordon as a precaution. The Grand Arcade car park was also closed.

Students and passers-by reported hearing two controlled explosions as the afternoon went on.

Guy Clark, a second year student at Trinity, told Varsity: "I was trying to get to the Grafton Centre and there was a big police cordon across the street where Eat and Boots and things are. I had no idea what was going on."

Speaking to the Cambridge News a spokesman for Cambridgeshire Police said: “The area around Petty Cury has been cleared as a precaution. A suspicious bag was found in a bin just before 1pm. Explosive experts have been called.”

A spokesman for the ambulance service added: “Police are investigating a suspicious package and requested the attendance of our HART team. No ambulances were called and no injuries were reported.”