Brussels terror alert: Man with 'fake suicide belt' arrested as City 2 shopping centre closed

A major shopping centre in Brussels has been closed off and a man arrested following a terror alert on the morning of 21 June.

Police were notified of a suspicious situation at about 5.30am and streets around the City 2 shopping centre have been closed off, a police spokesman told local media.

"A man was arrested at 5.30 this morning, possibly in possession of explosives. The bomb disposal team of the army is verifying whether this is the case," a spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor said told Reuters. A security source subsequently told Reuters that no explosives were found on the man.

According to the Belga press agency and newspaper La Derniere Heure the man was wearing a fake suicide belt.

Prime Minister Charles Michel held a meeting of the national crisis response centre, according to the prosecutor's office. "For the moment, the situation is under control," Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters after the meeting.

Belgium is currently on high alert following the 22 March terror attacks by an Isis cell at Brussels airport and a metro station in the city that killed 32 people.