Royal Navy Bomb Disposal experts have been deployed to Ryde Police Station where a potentially explosive device is being investigated.
The incident began sometime before 10:00 this morning (Saturday) when Police suddenly left their base at Station Street and rendezvoused at a nearby church car park.
At the same time, Royal Navy Bomb Disposal experts responded on blue lights and sirens to the Wightlink ferry in Portsmouth. They missed the 10:00 sailing but were first in the queue for the 11:00.
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal expert has donned a flash hood and other protective equipment and has entered the building to carefully inspect the device, which is thought to be inside one of the rooms off the main corridor.
A Hampshire Constabulary scenes of crime forensic investigator in also in attendance at the Police Station, which appears to have been evacuated.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service have also deployed an officer from their search and rescue dogs team – part of the Arson Task Force – to assist with the incident.
A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary has said:
“We are currently dealing with an incident at Ryde Police Station following the seizure of very small but potentially explosive device that was secured for safety at the police station.
Article continues below this advertisement “We have evacuated the building as a precaution and asked for assistance from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team to assist.
“The item is being investigated and made safe.
“It is very small and will not cause any wider disruption to the wider community”.
UPDATE @ 12:56 – Station Street has been cordoned off and residents have been told to stay inside their properties, but at this stage there is no suggestion of an evacuation.
UPDATE @ 14:05 – The area around Ryde Police Station remains cordoned off this afternoon as investigations continue. An Inspector is on scene alongside a growing number of officers.
Police are remaining tight lipped about the incident, which is understood to be part of a wider ongoing investigation.
UPDATE @ 15:10 – The incident has been brought to a safe conclusion with all cordons now lifted.
A further statement is expected from Hampshire Constabulary later on today.
Made me chuckle that they missed the 10am ferry. Maybe they turned up after the 10min cut off period as I have done before and was refused boarding even though loading was still happening.
Police have wrote on there page saying no road closures are in place sorry to reply to your comment lol won’t let me write otherwise
Why was my comment deleted??
Sometimes you write the truth and people don’t like it
Because sometimes free speech isn’t allowed on this media, it’s just the way it is these days..
Royal Navy, and they don’t have their own boat, oh dear.
Don’t they have a boat of their own?
more newsworthy is that the police station was open
Looking at the first photograph, I noticed the large toilet roll by the back door. Probably an essential item of equipment in that job.
The explosive device was found to be an old box of Christmas crackers left over from 1983
Wouldn’t surprise me if it was. In this country, a slightly ‘sharp’ spoon is considered a violent, dangerous weapon only used by terrorists. Always a total overblown moral panic about anything.
as ex rn thats not the thing to do take a suspect package home or even worse police taking it to the station there by making the building as a h/q useless
Thanks for keeping us BANG up to date