Council building evacuation stood down

A cordon in place at Maidstone House has now been removed, police said

A council building was evacuated after police received reports of a suspicious item in a nearby car park.

Police were called to the car park near Romney Place, Maidstone, at about 11:15 BST.

The item was later "deemed non-suspicious" by Kent Police.

The area near Maidstone House has been declared safe and officers have left the scene.

A cordon put in place while enquiries were carried out has also been removed.

Maidstone Borough Council said its phone lines were unavailable due to the closure, and apologised "for any inconvenience.”

The area near Maidstone House has been declared safe, Kent Police said