BOMB squad officers have carried out a controlled explosion inside a Barclays Bank in south east London.
Police were called in after a black briefcase was found abandoned in the bank in Eltham town centre this morning.
The case was found to be harmless and only contained a customer's private papers.
Staff and shoppers were evactuated from the High Street to near-by alleyways, including Passey Place, at 11.20am.
Teams of police, firemen and ambulance crews are on the scene and all buses and traffic are being diverted.
Traffic jams are occurring in North Park, which runs parallel to the High Street, as drivers try to find alternative routes.
Talking from the scene, Jim Holder, 72, of Halfway Street, Sidcup said: "It's chaos down here, everyone is asking what is going on.
"The traffic that can't go through the High Street is going through Sainsbury's car park and North Park which is totally blocked. I am stuck here now."
- Are you near the scene of the scare? Send your pictures to newsdesk@london.newsquest.co.uk and we will display them on This Is Local London.
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