A police station was evacuated and locked down as detectives investigated a suspicious vehicle parked nearby.

Major roads in Canterbury city centre were sealed off causing rush hour traffic to grind to a halt - but the cordon has now been lifted and the station reopened.

A police spokesman confirmed the station was evacuated as investigations unfolded.

Witnesses reported chaotic scenes on the roads, and the Canterbury Health Centre was reportedly closed.

The Old Dover Road was also shut from the Riding Gate roundabout to the junction with Nunnery Fields and Oaten Hill.

It comes just days after Kent University's library was evacuated when police received an anonymous morning call suggesting a bomb had been planted.

Freddie Parsons, 63-year-old owner of Oaten Hill Mews Garage near the Old Dover Road, said: "Whenever something like this happens it puts a tremendous strain on the rest of the streets here, which are bad enough anyway.

"Obviously I don't blame the police for doing what they've got to do to make sure we are safe."

Police have not yet released details on why the vehicle was deemed suspicious.