A bag left at the Centrelink office at Maitland has sparked a bomb scare and a mass evacuation.
Newcastle Fire Command says they responded a crew from East Maitland and the Hazmat unit from Rutherford to reports of a male acting suspiciously in the High Street building at about 3.30pm on Thursday.
Police and Ambulance crews also rushed to the scene.
The man was seen to put the bag down before leaving the premises.
The building was cordoned off and 130 people were evacuated from the Centrelink office and the Art Gallery next door to the PCYC.
The incident also caused major traffic disruptions
An inspection of the bag revealed it contained a jar of coconut oil.
