npower call centre evacuated after 'suspicious package' turned out to be electrical meter

Hundreds of workers at a call centre were evacuated to a nearby arena after a suspicious package was discovered.

Police officers were called to the npower offices in Rainton House, in the Rainton Bridge Industial Estate, at 10.30am on Wednesday after the call centre received a package staff believed to be suspicious.

Hundreds of employees were evacuated as a number of police investigated the package.

At around 1pm, staff members walked to Rainton Meadows Arena where they were told to wait for further information.

One woman who was on her way home said she believed the building would be closed for the rest of the day.

Another employee, Jack Wilson, said he had arrived for his afternoon shift when he found the building on lockdown.

The 20-year-old, from Shiney Row, said he had heard that more than 800 employees had been evacuated.

He said: "Over a whole four years I have worked in call centres this is the first evacuation I have come across.

"I'm overwhelmed, people won't know what's happening. They wiill be annoyed at the inconvenience."

Less than an hour later police concluded that the package, believed to be an electrical meter, did not pose any harm.

Employees, including kitchen workers and gym staff, then walked back to the npower building to get back to work.

The building had been evacuated for around three-and-a-half hours.

An npower spokesperson said: “ We can confirm that a suspicious package was discovered on site at npower’s Rainton House this morning.

 "The building was immediately evacuated and the appropriate emergency services were called who have now confirmed that the package does not pose a danger to anyone, and is in the process of being removed.

"The safety of our staff is our absolute priority and we would like to thank them for their patience, along with the emergency services for their swift response to the situation."

Northumbria Police  confirmed officers were at the scene and had been carrying out investigations.

Several police vans and a police car all left the industrial estate at around 1.30pm.