Shopping centre evacuated after reports of electrical fire with police and fire crews on scene
The fire was reported to have started inside the centre's EE store
| PA
The fire was reported to have started inside the centre's EE store
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Shoppers were evacuated from one of southern England's largest shopping centres this afternoon after reports of an electrical fire.
Police and Firefighters set up a cordon and evacuated part of Bluewater shopping centre in Kent around 3.45pm, with the fire reportedly starting inside the EE store.
No injuries have yet been reported.
A cordon was set up at the upper level between Krispy Cream Doughnuts and the Next clothes shop, which has now been lifted and the shopping centre has since reopened.
One shopper told Kent Online: “We were walking in the direction of the EE phone shop when I saw the cordon. The staff asked us to leave.
“There was a fire engine and a fire car outside the Next store, and a police van in the car park. We were let back in around 4pm, but the cordon is still in place.
“I saw firefighters coming out of the EE store. It doesn’t look badly damaged.”
Pictures circulating online show emergency vehicles outside the shopping centre while shoppers waited outside the building.
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Kent Police confirmed that officers were called at 3.45pm to a fire at a business in the centre, but are yet to issue statement on the circumstance.
A spokesman from Bluewater said: "A small section of Bluewater was temporarily evacuated today as a precaution, after there was some smoke in one of our stores.
"The centre team responded quickly, as did Kent Fire and Rescue, and the issue - a small battery smoking - was resolved and the area was reopened swiftly.
"We’re sorry for any guests who had their visit disrupted."