LARGE parts of Preston town centre were sealed off on Tuesday evening following a bomb scare.
Sharp-eyed traffic wardens Katrina Cardwell and Susan Lyons spotted a suspect package at tea-time.
Police evacuated shops, offices and restaurants within a half-mile radius as the Bomb Squad was called in from Liverpool.
They carried out a controlled explosion on a white metal container holding a cardboard box with wires wrapped round it.
Inspector Andrew Baxter, in charge of the evacuation, said: "The device looked very suspicious. We couldn't take any chances with people's safety and cleared the area.
"Following the controlled explosion, the bomb squad found the remains of a vacuum cleaner."
The area was declared safe at 8pm.
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