A critical incident has been declared at hospitals in the centre of Bristol, with the public told to stay away and use alternative services if needed.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) says all patients are safe.

The trust runs a number of hospitals, including the eye hospital, the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and Bristol Royal Infirmary – though it isn’t clear which of these have been affected.

Dr Rebecca Maxwell, interim chief medical officer at UHBW, said: “We have declared a critical incident due to a power outage. We aim to have this fully resolved as soon as possible.

“All patients, visitors and colleagues are safe.

“We ask the public not to attend our Bristol city centre hospitals until the incident is resolved and use alternative services in the area.”

The trust says it will update its social media channels with any developments.

Pictures on social media suggest a large emergency services presence in the area, while others claim there have been evacuations, though this has not been confirmed.

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