A FIRE alarm sent shoppers running for cover in Churchill Square.

The fire alarm went off in the Brighton shopping centre at about 4.30pm causing shoppers to “run towards the exits”.

Shopper Billy Lauper, 37, said: “The alarm went off and everyone went running into the car park.

“I was in Costa and then everyone started running into exits.”

Shoppers were allowed back into the building at 5pm.

Mark Buchanan-Smith, centre director of the shopping centre, said: “Churchill Square was evacuated this afternoon following a fire alarm being accidentally triggered.

"The emergencies services attended as standard procedure and with the all-clear given shortly afterwards, the centre went back to trading as usual.”