Police, ambulance crews and the air ambulance were all scrambled to Colchester town centre this morning.
The emergency services were called to Fenwick in High Street after 'concerns for the welfare of a child'.
The High Street was blocked off at the Head Street end by Essex Police and North Hill and North Station Road were also closed.
At least four police cars are in attendance, along with the ambulance service. An air ambulance was also seen to land nearby.
Fenwick remained closed for the rest of today.
A Fenwick spokesman said: "We have closed our Colchester store due to an incident this morning.
"We are working with local authorities and will update in due course."
The East of England Ambulance Service said it will not be providing any more information on the incident.
The Gazette understands there may be an update from police later on today.
Read more >> Council issues statement after incident at high street department store
A Colchester Council spokesman has confirmed it will be looking into the incident as part of its health and safety responsibilities.
He said: “We have been made aware by Essex Police of an incident in Fenwicks today.
"We will now be gathering information regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident as part of our health and safety responsibilities to support any potential investigation needed.”
Read more >> Emergency services called to town centre shop amid 'concerns for the welfare of a child'
During the inicdent a spokesman for Essex Police said: "We were called to Fenwick department store by colleagues in the ambulance service shortly after 11.30am this morning with reports of concerns for the welfare of a child.
"We are assisting colleagues in the ambulance service and a number of roads have been closed around the area, including High Street, North Hill and North Station Road.
"We will provide an update when we can."
The Gazette is aware of speculation on social media regarding today's incident . We will only be posting official updates from the emergency services via our website, Facebook and Twitter accounts.
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