SHOPPERS in Darlington town centre were evacuated when a fire alarm was activated in a store on Saturday.

Several hundred people were evacuated from the Cornmill Shopping Centre and other stores off Priestgate and Crown Street during the middle of the afternoon.

People waited on the pavement while they awaited further information about the source of the scare.

The evacuation caused widespread speculation about the reason for the emergency response, including concerns of a bomb scare, but it is believed to have been caused by a fire alarm being activated in one of the stores.

It has not been confirmed which shop the firm alarm originated from.

Fire crews from Darlington responded to the incident.

The Northern Echo contacted Primark on Crown Street in Darlington for a response, but the store refused to comment.

A spokesperson for the Cornmill Shopping Centre confirmed shoppers were asked to leave the centre, but would not say why.