SUSPECT PACKAGE TACKLED BY POLICE AND ARMY
| Published: 17th May 2007 20:51 |
Shortly before 10am today (Tuesday 15 May), police were contacted by a member of the public concerned about an object he had seen close to the Tesco supermarket in Church Street, Lichfield.
As a precaution, police cordoned off the area and army bomb disposal officers were called to the scene to help assess the situation.
Premises close by, including the Tesco and Aldi supermarkets and Focus DIY store were evacuated, along with a number of other business premises and homes.
Roads close to the scene were closed as army bomb disposal officers carried out two controlled explosions on the suspect package which turned out not to be an explosive device.
Following the army operation, teams of police forensic experts moved in to search the area for any evidence as a detailed investigation into the incident was launched by police.
Staffordshire police appreciate the incident caused a considerable amount of disruption in the area and would like to thank people living and working there for showing patience and understanding.
"The safety of people will always be our paramount concern," said Chief Inspector Mark Riley of Trent Valley Division.
"Due to the appearance and location of the package, it could not be dismissed as an innocent object such as an unattended item of luggage.
"The decision to evacuate nearby businesses and property was taken with people's safety in mind and the process went extremely smoothly with police officers offering help and support to people wherever possible."
Anyone with information about how the suspect package came to be left close to the Tesco store is asked to contact CID at Tamworth, telephone 08453 30 20 10 or, call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
