A DISCARDED cardboard box caused chaos in York city centre after bomb disposal squads were called in to carry out a controlled explosion.

Traffic was disrupted as North Street and Lendal Bridge were sealed off for more than three hours during the terror alert yesterday afternoon.

The suspect package, which was left on a park bench in riverside gardens, near the Park Inn Hotel, was reported to police by a passer-by at 3.20pm.

Police alerted the Royal Logistic Corps bomb squad in Catterick, who raced to the scene to carry out a controlled explosion just after 6pm.

On the opposite side of the river, pubs and bars were ordered to evacuate their balconies and move their customers away from the windows.

Sabrina Wright, of York, said she was drinking at a window seat in Orgasmic Café, off Coney Street, when the alarm was raised.

She said: "Police phoned the bar to tell staff to move everybody away from the windows and clear the balconies. That's all they said, they didn't tell us why."

The controlled explosion was heard by worried residents congregating at the top of North Street as they waited for the police to give the all-clear.

Angie Marley, who was with her three-year-old daughter, said: "It sounded like a motorbike had back-fired, but I couldn't see anything because the police told us to keep behind the building.

"I don't feel safe in York anymore."

Suzanne Armer, of Liverpool, was on a weekend break in York with her boyfriend, Michael Jolly, when they were caught up in the bomb scare.

She said: "We're staying in the Park Inn, but we're not allowed back to the hotel. We've been waiting for hours. This was meant to be a relaxing weekend away, but this is really worrying."

Inspector Mike Thompson, of York Police, said the cardboard box was believed to be empty and police were not investigating the incident any further.

He said: "We would ask for members of the public to be a little bit more careful with discarding packages so that this type of incident doesn't reoccur."