AN elderly woman’s incontinence pads mistaken for a bomb set off an evacuation of businesses at a Gold Coast shopping centre yesterday.

Staff at Pacific Fair shopping centre were forced to evacuate their workplace for up to two hours after reports of an elderly woman putting “suspicious packages” in a nearby rubbish bin.

$670M REVAMP UNDERWAY AT PACIFIC FAIR

PACIFIC FAIR IN LOCKDOWN AFTER SUSPICIOUS DEVICE FOUND

Police were called to the centre at about 3pm and after speaking with the elderly woman found the packages were actually incontinence pads.

“Police spoke to the elderly lady who was seen taking packages to a bin,” a police media spokesman said.

“It turned out an elderly woman was wrapping her incontinence pads and disposing them in the bin.

“After speaking with her they determined the packages were non-suspicious and no further action was taken.”

It is the second time in the past two days the centre has been evacuated due to suspicious devices or items.

A section of the centre was shut down on Monday after security guards located suspicious items near City Beach surf shop.

After about an hour they were deemed to be harmless and shoppers were allowed to return.