A man will stand trial after an entire shopping centre was evacuated last week.

Florian-Gigi Calin, 35, has pleaded not guilty to two assaults on police and one count of criminal damage at Vicarage Field in Barking on Wednesday last week.

Calin, of no fixed abode, was initially arrested on suspicion of obstructing a search under the Terrorism Act, but the charge was dropped after the bag he left behind in Station Parade at about 10.20am was found to be “not suspicious”.

The incident took place with police and members of the public on high alert in the wake of the Manchester bomb attack, which killed 23 people including children as young as eight just two days previously.

Calin has been remanded on unconditional bail after appearing at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court for a hearing. He is due to appear at Romford Magistrates’ Court on August 7.