A Tesco supermarket in Douglas was evacuated on Friday afternoon due to what staff have described as a structural issue.

Customers at the Victoria Road store, also known as Little Switzerland, were asked to leave the building and the surrounding area following health and safety concerns.

Tesco confirmed the store is temporarily closed. A spokesperson said: ‘Our Little Switzerland store is temporarily closed due to a maintenance issue. We are sorry for the inconvenience, and we are working to reopen the store as soon as possible.’

Several shoppers told Isle of Man Today they were informed by staff that the evacuation was linked to a structural issue within the building. One customer said they had been allowed to pay for their shopping but were told to proceed to the checkout immediately and leave afterwards. They also reported that one aisle had been cordoned off inside the store.

Staff were also seen preventing other customers from entering the car park.

A photograph taken by a customer as they left the site showed the car park largely empty.

Tesco has not yet confirmed the specific nature of the issue or when the store will reopen.

Isle of Man Today has contacted the company for further comment.