Car battery forces Sydney shopping centre evacuation

A car battery inside a cooler bag sparked panic at a shopping centre in Sydney's west today.

The battery was found with wires attached hidden behind a vending machine, forcing North Richmond Village shopping centre to be evacuated.

"They were just like, 'there's a bomb scare, you need to get evacuated'," witness Rebecca Crosbie said.

Another witness, Connie Panetta, said her heart had been "pounding" through the event.

The bomb squad rolled in and the shopping mall was declared safe within an hour.

Officers arrested a man who had allegedly left the bag behind the vending machine.

NSW Police's Peter Jenkins said the man claimed that was how he charged his batteries.

"We can't take chances and we won't take chances," he said.

"You don't know what else could be in the bag that could be flammable or explosive material."