Leicester city centre on LOCKDOWN: Bomb squad and 4 ambulances surround car
PART of Leicester city centre has been cordoned off and bomb disposal officers have been called in after a suspicious item was found in a car in Huntingdon Road in the city.
Daily Express
A 26-year-old Leicester man has been arrested in connection with the discovery of the suspicious item.
Leicestershire Police have just released a statement about the incident.
A spokesman said: "Technicians from the Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit (EOD) are in Huntingdon Road, Leicester, where a suspicious package was found earlier this morning.
"They will shortly examine the package before determining what steps then need to be taken.
"As is normal in such circumstances, personnel from the police, fire and rescue services and from East Midlands Ambulance Service are in attendance, to ensure public safety.
"No homes or premises have been evacuated, but roads continue to be closed in the area, namely Hampden Road at the junction with Edgehill Road, Huntingdon Road at the junction with Gypsy Lane and Fairfax Road.
"Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid these areas."
A robotic vehicle with a 4ft probe on a hydraulic arm has been deployed by EOD officers on Hampden Road and explosives experts wearing protective clothing are also working in the area.
The vehicle was being followed by an officer wearing thick-padded body armour and protective head gear.
The specialist explosives unit is from the Notts Troop, 71 Squadron, 11 EOD Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps based in Chetwynd Barracks in Chilwell, Nottingham.
An East Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We are there to support the police, we are not aware of any casualties”
One local resident said police sniffer dogs had been used to check vehicles, gardens and properties throughout the area.
The area around the vehicle remains cordoned off while technicians from the Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit (EOD) prepare to examine the item.
Homes within a 50 metre radius of the vehicle are being evacuated, and a rest centre has been set up at Northfields Neighbourhood Centre in Brighton Road (LE5 0HA) for those unable to stay with friends and relatives.
Two nearby schools, Northfield House Primary Academy and Wyvern Primary, are outside the evacuation zone and are not affected.
Pick up times for parents at these schools are unaffected, but parents living within the evacuation zone will not be able to return to their homes with their children until the area has been declared safe.