LONDON, England (AFP) – Police blocked off roads and evacuated part of central Birmingham, Britain’s second-biggest city, yesterday after receiving intelligence suggesting a threat, a spokeswoman said.

“We are now closing down the Broad Street entertainment zone and we are asking people to go home from that area,” a West Midlands police spokeswoman said.

“We’ve had some information to suggest there’s a threat.”

There were about 200 bars and clubs in the zone, which spans about half a square mile (one square kilometre), she said.

“They are all being evacuated.

“In the wider Birmingham city centre people are being encouraged to leave and go home.”

Police had issued a statement at 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) warning they had received intelligence to suggest a threat to the city centre.

At that time, they closed off the inner ring road, stopping any traffic entering the city. Any vehicles within the zone would have to pass a police cordon, she said.

“No vehicles are going into the inner ring road,” the police spokeswoman said.

Sky News reported roadblocks were in place and helicopters were flying over the area. The BBC reported that police cars with loudspeakers were driving through the Broad Street area.

“There’s a lot of police activity there. We are asking people to go home,” the spokeswoman said, adding that the public did not appear to resent the disruption.

“They seem to be responding very well,” she said.