SHOP staff will continue with a clean-up operation today, after a flood in a city centre mall. Firefighters were called to Boots the Chemist in Chevy Chase, Eldon Square, Newcastle, shortly before 11am yesterday, after a sprinkler system in the plant room accidentally activated.

It filled the room with water three inches deep, which seeped through into the furniture department of the Bainbridge store below. Officers isolated the water supply and pumped out the water.

Several items of furniture were water damaged in the incident. Boots declined to comment and no-one was available from Bainbridge.