A full scale emergency response yesterday evening was sparked by...a box of batteries.

A military bomb disposal team was called to Maidstone and people were told to move to the back of their homes after a suspicious package was discovered at a bus stop.

College Road was closed and traffic chaos ensued after police received reports of a mystery object.

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Officers attended the scene at 2.50pm and sealed the section of road between Hayle Road and Old Tovil Road.

Witnesses saw a bomb disposal robot retrieve the item, which was found at a bus stop on the one-way route into the town centre.

Homes were not evacuated, but people living nearby were told to move to the back of their properties.

Speaking yesterday, a police spokesperson said: "The item is described as a box shaped object. It is believed the item is unlikely to be dangerous but it is being assessed by the Ministry of Defence's explosive ordnance disposal team, which is at the scene."

However, today, Inspector Jody Gagan-Cook of the Maidstone Community Safety Unit said: “Kent Police received a call from a concerned member of the public who reported a box with smoke coming from it in College Road, Maidstone.

“We take any reports of suspect packages extremely seriously, and the decision to close the road on this occasion was not one that was taken lightly.

“There were several contributory factors to consider, including the fact that the package was left in a public place alongside other items that appeared connected.

“Given that we could not be absolutely certain that the package did not pose a risk, we decided to cordon off the area to ensure public safety while Explosive Ordnance Disposal experts assessed the scene.

“I would like to thank the people of Maidstone for their patience and understanding while this was investigated.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesman today confirmed that the suspicious box that triggered the full scale emergency response was in fact a box of four small batteries.

The box was taken away from the scene but no controlled explosion was carried out.

The bomb disposal team was sent from Shorncliffe Barracks in Folkestone.

Robbie Atherton, of nearby King Edward Road, was walking home with his daughter when he came across the cordon.

He said: "A police officer at the scene told me someone had left a firework there and that they couldn't take any chances so had to call a bomb disposal team.

"I can see several police cars, and a big white truck with Royal Logistics Corps written on it. I can't believe the whole of Maidstone could be at a standstill because of what might be a firework."

He said earlier in the afternoon one lane of traffic was able to pass slowly through College Road, but delays stretched along most of the one-way system.

The cordon included a private car park used by workers at several firms and the public car park further down College Road.

In a statement bus company Arriva said: "Expect serious delays on all services, this is totally beyond our control."

Brigette Johnson, manager of Busy Bees nursery, which was within the cordon, said: "Our priority is the children's welfare and we will stay open and fully staff until they have all gone home, all the parents have been informed of the delays.

"The pre-school children are very excited by the police and sirens being outside. We only realised the whole road had been cordoned off just after 4pm when the children said the police were still outside."

Darren Crosby, 32, of Aspen Way, Chatham, said: "I was on my way back from work when I hit solid traffic. I'm waiting around the corner for the cordon to be removed because it's pointless turning around, the traffic's absolute chaos and there's no one to control it."

Vehicles were being diverted along Old Tovil Road to join Upper Stone Street.

Kent County Council's Highways department said traffic had quickly built up around the town centre and advised people to avoid the area.

A man in a blast suit was seen walking towards the object and returned along with the robot at around 6pm with the road reopened shortly afterwards.

Video: Police seal off College Road in Maidstone after suspect package is found