Residents have been evacuated from their homes in the middle of the night and a 100-metre cordon put in place after police searching a property in Chelmsford, Essex, discovered items requiring specialist attention in connection with a suspected explosives offence.
Essex Police arrested a 34-year-old man from Chelmsford on suspicion of an offence under Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883 — which covers the making or possession of explosive substances under suspicious circumstances — ahead of executing a warrant at a property on Meadgate Avenue on Tuesday evening. A 33-year-old woman from Ongar was also arrested. Both remain in custody.
During searches at the Meadgate Avenue address, officers identified items that required what the force described as “specialist focus,” prompting the evacuation of a number of nearby properties and the establishment of a 100-metre exclusion zone as a precaution.
In a statement, Essex Police said: “As a result of searches at the Meadgate Avenue address, we have now identified items which require specialist focus and a number of properties in the area have been evacuated, with a 100-metre cordon put in place as a precaution. This is to ensure the safety of the community and to allow specialists the time and space to work.”
The force said it would provide a further update as soon as practically possible. The nature of the items found has not been disclosed.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
