THE old BHS store in Swindon town centre has collapsed.

Crowds gathered this morning as police and ambulance were called to the store in The Parade just before 11am.

No one was injured in the accident.

Nearby shops were evacuated and The Parade, Bridge Street and Regent Street have been partially blocked to pedestrians. Some shops remain closed.

Police are asking people not to go into the town centre unless it is necessary.

The fire service is assessing the building and making the area safe, although it is not known how long it will take.

At the end of last month, bulldozers began to knock down the store, marking the start of a £25m redevelopment project.

The store, which has temporarily relocated to the old Woolworths in Regent Street, was to make way for a flagship 80,000sq ft shopping development for a new BHS, Topman and River Island - a size the equivalent of two football pitches.

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