East Lyme – The Niantic branch of the Bank of America was evacuated this afternoon following discovery of a suspicious package that police later determined was left inadvertently behind by a customer.

The evacuation occurred shortly before 4 p.m. when East Lyme police cordoned off the bank and called in the state police emergency services unit to X-ray the package.

East Lyme Resident Trooper Sgt. Wilfred Blanchette III said police were able to identify and contact the owner of the package with the use of bank surveillance footage.