Shrewsbury Flower Show going ahead following hoax security threat

Visitors to the Shrewsbury Flower Show were evacuated on Friday evening

A security threat made by an anonymous caller at a Shropshire flower show was a hoax, police have said.

Visitors to the Shrewsbury Flower Show were ordered to leave on Friday as police conducted a thorough search of the venue, The Quarry.

The event was cancelled for the rest of the evening following the evacuation at 19:00 BST.

West Mercia Police said the show was going ahead as planned on Saturday, after "nothing suspicious" was found.

"Our searches of The Quarry have been completed and nothing suspicious was found, so the Shrewsbury Flower Show will continue today as planned," a spokesperson said.

Maelor Owen said authorities had conducted a "complete sweep" of the "whole ground" overnight

In an update on Friday night, Supt Damian Pettit said the force believed the threat was a hoax, adding that the safety of the public was its "number one priority."

"A huge amount of work goes in to planning events like this for the community and I know it was a disappointing end to the day for visitors," he said.

The event, organised by Shropshire Horticultural Society, has been held for more than 130 years and features celebrity gardeners and musical performances.

Increased security measures and bag searches are also in place upon entry

Firework displays are also set to return to the show this year after they were cancelled in 2022, due to dry and dangerous conditions.

In a post on Facebook, organisers of the two-day event said it was continuing from 10:00 BST on Saturday.

Increased security measures and thorough bag searches are in place upon entry.

Maelor Owen, chairman, said police officers and the military had conducted a "complete sweep" of the area overnight, after "two suspicious packages" were reported.

"I have to thank the people who attended yesterday, because they listened, they went and we cleared it in a matter of minutes," he said.

He added that visitors who had been evacuated would be able to attend on Saturday "subject to capacity", and providing they could produce proof of purchase.