CHIMPS BREAK FREE.

Byline: JOHN SIDDLE ; PAUL MANNION

FIVE thousand people were evacuated from Chester Zoo and hundreds more turned away when 30 chimpanzees escaped from their enclosure.

The primates yesterday broke out of their secure confines into a keepers' area, where their food is prepared.

Staff had to shut the 110-acre site as a precaution and then attempted to round up the animals, described as very strong and intelligent.

It is still not known how the animals escaped but the zoo insisted there was no risk to the public.

A family from Ireland, visiting Chester for a week, were in the zoo when the animals escaped at 12.40pm.

One said: "Everybody was told to go because chimpanzees had escaped.

We did not really know what was going on but it was quite scary.

"We were told to go into the restaurants and shops, where we stayed for about 45 minutes."

Another batch of visitors were locked in the jaguar enclosure while staff ensured there were no chimps in public areas.

Many visitors to the zoo, Britain's most popular, queued for refunds following the evacuation.

Staff handed out bottles of water to those stuck in traffic and waiting for buses.

One member of a group from Warrington said: "We heard someone saying it was a red alert. We walked straight through the gate and into the gift shop. It was ridiculous."

Zoo staff managed to put all the chimps back in their enclosure within four hours of their escape. No visitors or staff were injured.

Zoo spokesman Rachael Ashton said: "We do not know how they managed to get there.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused to our visitors and would thank them for their full co-operation."

CAPTION(S):

STAR: Chester Zoo's chimps are popular SCARE: 5,000 people were evacuated from Chester Zoo when 30 chimps escaped from their enclosure