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Birmingham, England, police evacuating the city afterintelligence suggested some type of threat, the switchboard operator said.

Police in Birmingham in the Midlands are evacuating the city centre.

Earlier they issued a warning they had received intelligence suggesting a threat to the area.

"Our response needs to be proportionate in the action we're taking and in informing the public," a spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said.

Police are now closing down the Birmingham Broad street entertainment zone and asking people to go home. A statement will be released shortly.

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Reuters

A woman who works in a bar in the centre of Birmingham told Sky News she had to travel down back streets to reach the middle of the city where her job is based following the security alert. She said: "I did a massive detour which took nearly an hour and just managed to get into the city centre.

"We are right in the city centre by the library and that's apparently somewhere near where the bomb scare's been happening. There's not many police where we are now."

She added: "They haven't told us anything at all yet, the police. We're just carrying on as normal as we possibly can.

There are rumors of a controlled explosion in the area.

DDebka:

Credible intelligence alert prompted evacuation Saturday night of Birmingham center in West Midlands two days after terrorists attack London. Police carry out series of controlled explosions after clearing 30,000 from bars, restaurants, theaters and hotels.

West Midlands Police announced they had received intelligence of a possible threat to the area around 2015BST.

Initially people were told to be on their guard and that bars and restaurants were being searched. Motorists were also told not to come into the city centre.

Around 2100BST the police announced that the city was to be evacuated.

Bomb squad officers reportedly carried out a series of controlled explosions in the Broad Street entertainment district.

West Midlands Police said no vehicles are being allowed past the inner ring road.

Around 200 bars, restaurants and clubs were being emptied and searched

Assistant chief constable Stuart Hyde said police had received an intelligence warning of a "substantial threat".

"I don't believe that the incident that we are dealing with this evening is connected with the events of July 7 in London. I want to make that pretty clear," he said

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