York's Barbican Centre was evacuated at lunchtime today following a bomb scare.
Even swimmers had to leave the pool in their costumes and assembled nearby wrapped in blankets before being taken to the nearby Novotel.
The Barbican was sealed off by police while an investigation continued.
Swimmer Ann Walker from York said: "I was just in the training pool when they asked us to get out. We went out into the car park and then across the road to the Kent Street car park and they gave us these silver foil blankets to wear.
"Then we were allowed to get into a police vehicle and were then brought by coach to the Novotel." She praised staff at the hotel who gave the swimmers coffee. She said she regularly swam at the Barbican. "Nothing like this has ever happened before."
The evacuation was sparked when police received a telephoned bomb threat from a phone box near a school.
Updated: 15:55 Thursday, April 26, 2001
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