A police station in Hampshire was abruptly evacuated on Saturday afternoon after a member of the public handed in a suspected explosive device.
Emergency Response and Precautionary Evacuations
The incident occurred at Fareham Police Station on Saturday, November 23. Authorities confirmed that the suspicious item, believed to be an unexploded ordnance, was brought into the station at 1.46pm.
In response, Hampshire Constabulary immediately implemented a 100-metre (328ft) security cordon around the building. As a precautionary measure, this led to the evacuation of not only the police station but also several surrounding premises.
Shoppers at a nearby Tesco store were among those asked to leave the area to ensure public safety while the threat was assessed.
Specialist Team Secures the Scene
To deal with the potentially dangerous device, the specialised Royal Navy Ordnance Explosive Disposal team was called to the scene. The highly trained experts attended the police station and successfully took possession of the suspect device for safe removal.
Following the removal of the ordnance by the Royal Navy specialists, the substantial cordon that had been in place was lifted, allowing the area to return to normal. The swift and coordinated action ensured that the situation was resolved without any reported injuries.
A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary provided a statement confirming the sequence of events, from the initial handing in of the device to the lifting of the safety cordon after the Royal Navy team's intervention.
