SHOPPERS and staff were evacuated from Templars Square shopping centre this afternoon when part of a glass roof collapsed during heavy rain and wind.

Witnesses have described how shoppers ran screaming when the glass shattered on the floor inside the Cowley centre.

No one is understood to have been injured but questions have been raised about the safety of the building.

The incident happened at about 3.55pm and the shopping centre was cleared out for about 10 minutes.

Susan Ledgard-Hoite, who was leading a Young Enterprise market for schoolchildren, said: "All of a sudden we heard this massive crash. There was screaming and everyone was coming away from it.

"It brought the glass down and there was a ripple effect and the glass shook. The alarms were going off."

She said people feared the entire roof would collapse as it was hit by the strong wind and heavy rain.

She added: "Most people just froze and looked up. It was amazing no one was hurt."

Ali, who works at Phones 4U in the centre, said: "We thought the whole thing was going to collapse."

The shopping centre management have not yet commented.