A hoax bomb threat forced hundreds of people to evacuate Enfield Civic Centre.

Politicians, staff and members of the public waited outside Enfield Borough Council’s headquarters in Silver Street for an hour-and-a-half after the fire alarm rang.

Police guarded the building’s entrance and carried out an extensive search after a caller claimed there was a suspicious package inside.

In other news, an inquest into the death of 19-year-old student Tan Li found management at Southgate Leisure Centre failed in its duty to identify, assess and control risks.

The Southgate College student, who could not swim, drowned in the shallow end of the pool, in Winchmore Hill Road, in July 2007.

The court heard that a lifeguard and a duty pool manager were in conversation while sitting on a ledge by the pool’s sauna at the time he died.

The centre has been taken over by new management since Mr Li’s death.

Later in the month, 28-year-old Teon Palmer died from a single stab wound in Montagu Road at the junction with Goodwin Road.

Friends paid tribute to the “coolest guy”.

Neighbours were also “horrified” Enfield Borough Council applied for a licence to host events on Chase Green.

The proposals included transforming the quiet park into an entertainment venue, which could host events between 7am and 11pm every day.

Brian Macdonald, 76, and Ruth Hanchett, 72, of Chase Green Avenue were concerned about noise from events as well as electricity generators, which they feared could run all day.