POLICE are hunting a hoaxer who sparked a major security alert in Basingstoke town centre by planting a suspicious looking package in The Anvil.

Roads feeding the town centre were closed and most of Castle Square and Old Basing Mall were shut off after an Anvil employee discovered the suspect package on Friday morning.

An army bomb disposal team rushed to the scene and eventually conducted a controlled explosion of the device, which police say consisted of a carrier bag with batteries strapped to it.

The drama caused disruption for many people, including a number of workers, as they were told to evacuate the area near The Anvil at around 10.45am. Around 350 people working in the Motorola building opposite The Anvil, off Alencon Link, were among those evacuated.

Police initially set up a 100-metre cordon but this was later extended to a wider area at the bomb disposal team's request at around 12.50pm.

The scene remained cordoned off until after the controlled explosion took place and the area was cleared. The roads were reopened to the public shortly after 2pm.

Superintendent Paul Netherton, head of Basingstoke police, said the remains of the device are being examined.

He told a press conference: "The police and the army thought it was suspect. It certainly looked real enough - it was a designed device.

"We have had no threats made or hoax calls. It just looked very odd, which is why we responded as we did."

Supt Netherton praised the work of The Anvil staff and security staff in Festival Place and The Malls throughout the drama, particularly in helping to keep the area free of people.

The Anvil was due to stage a concert by singer Paul Carrick on Friday evening. However, this was cancelled as police remained at the venue for several hours.

The Anvil's chief executive Christine Bradwell told the press conference that its staff are fully trained in dealing with emergency situations.

She added: "As soon as the suspect package was found, we called the police. They advised us to evacuate, which we did."

Anyone who can help with the investigation into the fake bomb incident should call Basingstoke police on 0845 045 45 45.