BOMB disposal experts were called in as a Warrington retail park was evacuated on Wednesday morning - because of a discarded briefcase.
The alert was triggered just after 7am when a Gemini worker spotted a tan-coloured case wedged in a bin, off Cromwell Avenue and close to the IKEA store.
Police were immediately called in and after the situation was assessed by senior officers, the army's bomb squad raced to the scene.
The first of two controlled explosions on the suspect case was carried out at 9.20, with a second detonation around 20 minutes later. It was then discovered that the briefcase was empty.
People working at the IKEA furniture store and the BT call centre were asked to leave their premises.
Roadblocks were set up by Cheshire Constabulary at various points along Europa Boulevard with the road only beginning to clear at around 10am.
Police spokesman Ivor Lewis said: "It was a case of someone discarding a briefcase in the bin without thinking of the implications.
"But we would like to thank the public for being alert and contacting us in this kind of situation. It is still necessary and people need not be afraid of making such a call."
Dozens of cars and delivery vans were turned back by officers as crowds gathered on the fringes of the scene.
Police praised the co-operation shown by motorists and workers to the scare and stressed they were keen not to unduly alarm staff. But the force had called in the bomb squad as a "precautionary measure".
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