An unattended bag sparked a bomb scare this afternoon prompting police to tape off a busy pedestrian shopping street in Gravesend.

A policeman walking down New Road is thought to have seen the laptop bag next to a bench.

After he was unable to find its owner, officers decided to cordon off a section of the street to make sure the bag did not pose a threat.

The bag was left next to a bench outside Carphone Warehouse in New Road.

Employees in Raw hair salon, next door, said the first they knew there was a problem was when a police officer came into the shop.

Senior stylist Charlotte Rosier said: “A policeman came in and asked us if we had seen anything but we’d been really busy and hadn’t.”

Watch: The police cordon in Gravesend

Designer Alice Toulson said: “The next thing we knew, he was back in and said I’m shutting your shop, there’s a suspicious package outside.”

They described how an officer picked up what looked like a printer or laptop bag and walked off with it. Another eye witness said he had seen officers open the bag.

The cordon was removed after less than half an hour.

A police spokesman said: "Kent Police received a report of concern about a package in High Street, Gravesend at 4.17pm.

"Officers attended and a cordon was set up as a precaution. The package was confirmed not suspicious."