Santander Sevenoaks bomb scare: Kent high street evacuated following reports of a suspicious package

Police are investigating whether the object is linked to an attempted bank robbery

Monday 08 February 2016 13:43 EST

Police cordoned off the area around the Santander in Sevenoaks (Lizlapage/Twitter)

A Kent high street has been evacuated following a bomb scare at the local branch of Santander.

Police blocked off Sevenoaks High Street on Monday with a bomb disposal robot being spotted at the scene shortly before 4pm.

Kent Online reports police are investigating whether the package may be linked to an attempted bank robbery.

Bomb experts and police officers were at the scene while many shops and businesses have been ordered to evacuate.

Police have not yet confirmed whether the package is a bomb but experts have said it will be disposed of at the scene by an army bomb disposal team.

Local resident Andrew Dunne told the Sevenoaks Chronicle: "There are absolutely loads of police here and the bomb squad is trying to get through.

"Everyone has been evacuated and we can't walk up or down the High Street at all."

Enormous traffic queues are said to be forming around the town as the two street cordon remains in place.

Dominic Gill, the owner of a local nursery, said he had received frantic calls from parents who cannot pick up their children.

He said: "It it is taking a bit of time for parents to get through because of the sheer weight of traffic on London Road.

"The children are unaware of what's going on, but some are enjoying watching the blue flashing lights.

"I saw what I think was a bomb disposal van go past. It was sort of light coloured with people in army fatigues sitting in the cab".