Police evacuate Martin Place after reports of suspicious item

Police have cleared Martin Place of any threat after a suspicious object was found near the Sydney siege memorial.

The area was evacuated about 4pm after an unattended bag was discovered near some plants outside the MLC Centre about 4pm.

Martin Place was the scene of a siege this week that ended in the death of two hostages and gunman Man Haron Monis and has been the scene of mass vigils and floral memorials since.

The bag was quickly assessed by police who determined it was not dangerous but the 50m exclusion zone caused significant issues for afternoon commuters.