Published by Robert L Senior Reporter on Tuesday, 18th June 2024, at 19:45hrs
Watling Street Road in Fulwood was closed for several hours after the discovery outside a property on Tuesday afternoon.
The incident happened around 12:30pm and the road was cordoned off by police from Duchy Avenue down to Fulwood Hall Drive as a precautionary measure.
Motorists and members of the public were being advised to avoid the area and plan their route accordingly.
The closure caused choas to local residents trying to pick their children up from a nearby school.
One member of the public who did not wish to be named was travelling on foot to work and couldn’t get passed the cordon, this caused issues with his workplace as he couldn’t get to work on time.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit was called in to deal with the situation. They arrived around 14:30hrs.
Lancashire Police sniffer dogs were also on scene searching nearby gardens and drains along the road.
In a social media post, Preston Police said,
“We currently have a cordon in place in Watling Street Road, Fulwood.
This was following a report that a suspicious package had been found outside a property.
Our Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) colleagues are on their way and we would ask that people avoid the area as a precaution.
We will update you when we can.
Around 16:15hrs residents were evacuated from their homes within the cordon.
Speaking with local residents at the cordon one said, “I was eating my tea when the police knocked on the door and asked us to evacuate, we didn’t know how long we was going to be outside for but gagged, “it was nice to see and chat with neighbours that we didn’t even know lived on the same road.
Police officers could be seen carrying crying toddlers from nearby homes and reuniting them with their parents at the cordon.
The Army Bomb Disposal Unit carried out a controlled explosion at the scene shortly before 7 pm.
The road was fully reopened, and residents were allowed back into their homes just before 8 pm.
In a statement, Lancashire Police said,
“We would like to provide you with an update following the incident in Watling Street Road, Fulwood.
Around 12.25pm today (Tuesday, June 18) we attended an address following a report two suspicious objects, believed to be grenade-type devices, had been found close to an address.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was called with properties evacuated and a cordon established.
Following assessment, the EOD team carried out a successful controlled explosion of one of the objects at the scene, with a second object removed to a second location and a further controlled explosion taking place.
The cordon has now been lifted with homeowners returning to their properties.
We understand the impact this incident has had on residents and want to thank them for their patience and understanding while emergency services helped bring the matter to a safe conclusion.
An investigation into the circumstances around the incident is underway. If you saw anything unusual, or have any information which may assist police, please call 101 quoting log 0556 of June 18.
G2K INCIDENT WATCH 