A Kent supermarket was evacuated today after a coded message was left at the store.

The Asda store in Maidstone Road, Chatham, and surrounding area was closed for two hours after the call at around 11am.

Kent Police's tactical support unit searched the aisles of the supermarket but found nothing suspicious.

Customers using the store were ordered to leave with motorists stopped from travelling along the nearby A229 as a precaution.

Staff were told to congregate in the far corner of the car park, a safe distance from the main building.

The Army bomb disposal squad were consulted but not called in. The store re-opened at 12.50pm.

A spokesman for Medway Police, said: "Officers followed routine procedures by evacuating the building whilst a thorough investigation was carried out."

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