Shopping centre fully reopens after roof panel fall

A shopping centre in West Sussex has fully reopened 11 weeks after a glass panel fell from its ceiling.

Swan Walk Shopping Centre in Horsham has been gradually reopening after it was closed on 12 July when an object hit a glazing panel and caused it to fall. Nobody was injured.

"We're grateful to our retailers, their employees and visitors to the centre for their patience," a spokesperson said.

Once the cause of the damage was confirmed in an investigation, the shopping centre began installing a safety net underneath its glazed areas to protect its shoppers and retailers.

This allowed it to reopen in phases throughout August and September, with shops that could be entered without walking beneath these areas opening first.

Businesses in the centre previously told the BBC they were worried about the long-term economic impact of the closure.

A spokesperson for the shopping centre said the netting installation, which started in late August, was completed "ahead of schedule".

"All our retailers have now reopened, with the exception of the Horsham District Wellbeing unit, which will be reopening on Monday," they added.

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