SMOKE poured from electrics in a city pub's cellar as firefighters cordoned off a main section of the city centre.
Shoppers stopped in their tracks as two fire engines were called to The Royal Exchange in the Cornmarket.
The fire crew cordoned off a large section of the street while they attended the pub this afternoon (Wednesday).
Staff inside the pub spotted smoke coming from the cellar and dialled 999.
Patrons were evacuated from the Royal Exchange at around 1pm after the smoke was seen rising from inside the cellar.
A couple of the pub's staff were stood outside watching and one said: “It’s nothing serious and the pub will be open again in a few hours”
"An electrician is coming to check that everything is okay."
A patron of the pub said: “The landlady went into the cellar and it was full of smoke, so they told everyone to evacuate."
Initially, three Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service crews - two from Worcester and one from Droitwich Fire Stations - were called to a building fire in the Cornmarket.
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A spokesperson for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said: "Light smoke-logging in the basement was investigated by two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and using a hosereel jet.
"A thorough check of the basement was carried out using a gas monitor but this showed no reading and the smoke was believed to be from maintenance."
The Royal Exchange has reopened.
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