A suspicious package left near a letter box in Republic Street this morning forced the closure of number of shops and the evacuation of a section of the street until soldiers from the army's bomb disposal unit opened it and found it was an empty box.

The alarm was raised by a warden at about 9.30am.

The package was found near the letter box and florist at the corner of Republic Street with St John Square.

The police and the army bomb disposal unit were called and examined the item.

Shops in the area up to the law courts were ordered to close and people were directed away.

A soldier wearing a protective suit used bomb detection equipment to check the package, without touching it ,and then proceeded to open the package, which turned out to be an empty box,