Premier Inn

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By Hayley Coyle & PA MediaBBC News

Buildings have been evacuated and people have been warned to avoid part of Leeds City Centre due an " incident" involving a crane.

No-one was on The Crane near Riverside Way, but road closures had been put in place, police said.

West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said crews were called to reports of an unstable structure at about 13:35 GMT.

Train services were affected at nearby Leeds Railway Station but had now resumed, according to Network Rail .

However, passengers should expect " major disruption" at The Station until The End of The Day , it added.

In a statement, a West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said access to the Riverside Way area had been restricted for pedestrians and road closures put in place.

They added: " A Number of buildings in the area are also being evacuated as a precaution.

" These closures are expected to be in place for some time and members of The Public are advised to avoid the area and seek other routes. "

The spokesperson also said it was an " ongoing incident".

A cordon was in place on a stretch of Whitehall Road , a short distance from Leeds Station , and riverside paths were also closed and guarded by officers.

A nearby Premier Inn hotel was among The Buildings evacuated and fire engines were spotted going in and out of The Cordon .

Onlookers were reportedly told by police at The Scene there was a danger a White Tower crane operating close to Whitehall Road could collapse.

The Crane was one of two around a half-built Tower Block between The Road and the River Aire .

One onlooker, Luke Peters, 38, from Chapel Allerton , said The Crane had looked " off-kilter" and confirmed The Police had told him it could fall over " imminently".

He added: " I wouldn't want to be going for a run along The River right now. "

Meanwhile Jacob Slater, 25, from Cornwall, who lives in a flat across The Road from The Crane , said he thought a cable had snapped and that it " might fall down" on his building.

Mr Slater also told The Bbc that he had been warned he might not be able to return to his flat until Wednesday, adding: " I don't know where I will sleep tonight. It's worrying. "

Another onlooker said: " They've just said we can't come through because that crane is in danger of collapse any minute.

" It looks OK to me, but I would not want to be near it if It Comes down. "

At The Scene - Richard Madden , BBC News

It's quite a confusing picture here in Leeds City Centre .

On The Corner of Whitehall Road , just in front of blue and white police tape, officers are guarding The Scene .

Directly in front of me, bathed in light, are two huge cranes involved in a large construction project.

Residents in nearby buildings have been evacuated and they have been told there are concerns about one of those cranes.

They've also been told it could potentially be Wednesday before they're allowed back into their buildings.

At the Railway Station just down The Road , services in and out of Leeds and through The City were completely cancelled earlier.

I spoke to a guard a little while ago and He Said services were starting to resume and trying to get back to a normal timetable.

West Yorkshire Police are advising people to stay away from this area at The Moment .

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Source of news: bbc.com