Three men arrested after a bus station was evacuated and the bomb squad alerted have been released without charge.

Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow city centre was evacuated at about 1.10pm on Wednesday after police responded to a report of a “potentially suspicious item”.

Police Scotland said the Navy bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion on the item, which was later found to be “innocent in nature”.

Bomb disposal truck and fire engine parked on road
The bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion of the item (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Three men were arrested in connection with the possession of offensive weapons on Wednesday evening, but on Thursday afternoon the force said they had been released without charge.

Superintendent Derrick Johnston said: “The initial report was treated as a credible threat and, as a precautionary measure and in accordance with procedures, the surrounding area was closed to the public and a cordon put in place.

“The Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal team carried out a controlled explosion after an assessment was made of the impact to nearby gas mains and local train lines.

Emergency service vehicles parked on a road
The incident sparked a large-scale response by emergency services (Andrew Milligan/PA)

“The item was then examined and confirmed to be innocent in nature, posing no risk to the public.

“All areas reopened by 9.45pm and I thank the public for their patience and understanding.”

Large cordons were put in place with streets around the bus station closed and the nearby Glasgow Caledonian University campus evacuated.

Disruption was caused to bus services, trains at Glasgow Queen Street station, and the subway was closed for several hours.