Shoppers at White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds were left worried when they were evacuated from the building this morning.
Around 10am on Wednesday, February 22, shoppers heard on a tannoy system that they needed to leave the premises immediately.
Shoppers said they were "left out in the cold" for over half an hour. "We didn't know what was going on," one shopper pegged.
Rows of people were seen crowded in the car park area, and red and white tape was used to cordon off the entranceway. One eywitness said: "The entire of White Rose Shopping Centre was evacuated this morning. At around 10am.
"I was with a client at that time." She added: "We stood in the parking for over half an hour. It was cold. We decided to get in the car and go to another place. The rest of the customers and employees stayed in the parking area.
"The White Rose entrances were blocked with white and red tape and the alarm was still on. Nobody told us what was going on." A spokesperson for White Rose has confirmed the shopping centre has now reopened as normal.
In a statement, the spokesperson added: "A planned fire evacuation drill was held at the White Rose Shopping Centre today, 22 February 2023, at 10am. As part of its rigorous health and safety strategy, White Rose routinely undertakes such measures to ensure the highest possible standard of care for staff, guests and retailers.
"Few of the centre’s employees are pre-warned of drills to ensure an accurate measure of the centre’s preparedness for such an event. Evacuation drills are measured against specific criteria to ensure exceptionally high standards and continuous improvement."
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