Shrewsbury restaurant takes in nearly 70 people after evacuation

West Mercia Police had asked the public to stay away from The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury

A restaurant took in nearly 70 people after a hotel and nearby properties were evacuated and shut by police.

West Mercia Police closed Wyle Cop, Dogpole and High Street in Shrewsbury on Thursday evening and set up a cordon around the Lion Hotel.

The restrictions lifted just after midnight.

Police said they had taken precautionary action after being alerted to a possible threat, but were later satisfied it was not genuine.

One hotel worker said people had been asked to move 200m (656ft) away from the scene to the other side of the English Bridge, across the River Severn.

A force statement said officers had taken "precautionary action", including the evacuation "of the hotel together with businesses and private properties in the immediate vicinity" after receiving the call.

Police officers set up a cordon around the hotel on Wyle Cop, with Dogpole and High Street also shut

Speaking before the cordon was lifted, a worker at the nearby Lion and Pheasant hotel confirmed staff and guests had been escorted from the premises by police at about 20:30 GMT.

"We've been told we've got to be 200 metres away," she said, adding people were awaiting police instructions in venues on the other side of the English Bridge.

Dani Leah, the restaurant manager at The Peach Tree, in Abbey Foregate, said she had posted on social media to provide anyone affected with a warm place to wait and ended up with 67 people inside.

Even though the kitchen staff had gone home, she offered to stay open as late as needed and told people they could order a takeaway.