About 150 people had to be evacuated from Oxford Railway Station yesterday afternoon following a bomb scare.

Rail travellers, retailers and station staff had to leave the building just before 4pm after staff discovered a suspect bag on platform one.

An area around the station from the Botley Road entrance as far as the YHA youth hostel was cordoned off while officers from Thames Valley Police and the British Transport Police examined the item.

A total of 25 people were also evacuated from the youth hostel.

The station was re-opened at 4.15pm after the item turned out to be a back-pack full of rubbish.

Erwin Beck, a business manager for Thames Trains West, said messages were put out over the station's public address system and on trains from Oxford to try to find the owner of the bag.

When nobody came forward, the decision to close the station was taken immediately.

Mr Beck said: "We followed our emergency plan, which went very well.

"It is difficult with these situations because sometimes people think you have over-reacted, but people accepted the action we took."

Stephanie Grant, from Jasons Flowers in the station's concourse, said: "We haven't had a bomb scare here for a while. You do become very complacent until there is an alarm like this. It brings you to your senses and makes you vigilant."

Thames Trains spokesman Jonathan Radley said the knock-on effect of delays affected some rush hour services yesterday evening, with delays of up to 40 minutes.

Mr Radley said: "At the current time, it is also important that people remain vigilant about items left at stations."