Part of Park Street in Bristol City Centre was cordoned off after a suspicious item was discovered to have been left behind by a man. Bomb experts were called alongside the police to assess the item and neutralise the potential threat. Park Street has now been reopened to the public and police forces have closed the scene.
A report was made by a member of the public to the police around 8.25 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 23 after a man was seen leaving a “suspicious” package in the area. The scene was quickly responded to by police officers, forensic vans, soldiers, and an ambulance.
At the time, a spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said:
“At 8.25am we received a call from the member of the public concerned they had potentially witnessed a man leaving a suspicious item in the area. We have notified the explosive ordnance disposal unit, who will be attending the area to conduct further enquiries. We recognise Park Street is a significant part of the road network, and we will ensure it is reopened at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, though, we would ask people seek an alternative route.”
Soon after, a 50-metre cordon was put in place that covered a significant section of Park Street, Hill Street, St George’s Road, and Frogmore Street. The cordoned off area was closed to all pedestrians and motorists though a large crowd of people did gather alongside the police tape.
Following the shutdown of the area, civilians were also told to evacuate their places of work and residences until the threat had been dealt with.
Two employees of Pizzarova on Park Street told the BBC that around 9.30 a.m. they were told by police that the street had been shut down and they would need to evacuate. They also described seeing a white bollard with something strapped to it.
At around 11.00 a.m., a controlled detonation was carried out by the Army’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team to neutralise the item.
The cordon remained in place till around 2.00 p.m. before it was reduced whilst police forces investigated. Avon and Somerset Police also confirmed that the item was “not considered to have been a viable explosive or to have posed a risk to people.”
They emphasised that the police’s top priority was always the safety of the members of the public and that the precautionary approach taken in the situation was with public safety in mind.
The police cordon has now been lifted in its entirety, and all roads are open.
