AN EMPLOYEE at an Eastleigh store was greeted by four fire crews after the smoke detector was accidentally set off.

Teams from Portchester, Eastleigh, St Mary’s and Southsea arrived at H&T Pawnbrokers on Market Street after the security smoke machine was activated yesterday.

It is believed that when the store was unlocked by a member of staff at around 8.45am, the security system was triggered causing plumes of fog to fill the store and set off the fire alarms.

The system is used to deter robberies and break-ins and it deactivated with a code.

Teams arrived at the scene at 8.46am but it was recorded as a "false alarm" and a stop message was put in at 9.10am.

A staff member from neighbouring store Ponder Home Interiors told the Daily Echo that she believed the "alarm system was faulty".

She said: "There was a fire engine down here but there was not a fire.

"The pawnbrokers' smoke machine set off when someone unlocked it this morning and it set off the fire alarms which contacted the fire station.

"I think they have a faulty alarm system in there or something."

The fire crews had to remove the smoke from the building by using "tactical ventilation" to clear the air.

A spokesperson from Hampshire Fire and Rescue said: "We were called at 8.46am to a business premises in Market Square, Eastleigh.

"It was recorded as a false alarm, caused when a security alarm activated a smoke machine.

"Crews from Portchester, Eastleigh, St Mary’s and Southsea attended.

"They used tactical ventilation to get the smoke out of the building. Stop message was 9.10am."

A security smoke screen is a device that sends out clouds of thick, harmless smoke that debilitates and disorients the intruders upon signs of a break-in.

The Daily Echo contacted H&T Pawnbrokers for a comment but have not yet had a response.