UPDATE 3.20PM
Police have confirmed the alert at the Riverside Plaza on Thursday afternoon was a false alarm.
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Firefighters investigated after the alarm was triggered but said there was no fire.
INITIAL REPORT
Shoppers were evacuated from the Riverside Plaza in Central Maitland after an alarm went off around lunchtime on Thursday.
Scores of shoppers and retailers were forced out of the shopping centre for about 15 minutes after the alarm sounded at about 1pm.
Police helped keep people outside the centre during the incident.
Centre management declined to comment when contacted by The Mercury on the reason behind the evacuation.
Several retailers also remained tight lipped when asked what had happened.
The plaza was also evacuated back in 2017 after crews working underneath the centre prompted the alarm to sound
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