A cordon was put in place and residents evacuated following the discovery
Police have released a further update after ‘suspected explosive materials’ were found in a property in Beverley. A cordon was put in place on Watts Road and residents evacuated after the alarm was raised on Friday morning.
The cordon was lifted in the early hours of Saturday, with residents allowed to return home, but a scene guard remained in place while investigations continued. That scene guard has now also been lifted.
Two men arrested on Friday have now been released on conditional bail. All materials have been removed from the house.
A Humberside Police spokesperson said this morning: “We can confirm the scene guard put in place on Watts Road in Beverley following reports of suspected explosive materials being found inside the property on Friday, 29 August has now been lifted. At around 8.30am, we were called to reports of an altercation between three men, believed to be known to each other, outside a property where one man is believed to have been assaulted with what was believed to be a hammer.
“Officers swiftly attended and located a 54-year-old man at the scene who was subsequently arrested on suspicion of assault, and the second man allegedly fled inside a nearby address. Officers forced entry and located a 27-year-old man inside the property who was also arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
“Upon searching the property officers reportedly discovered weapons including firearms and a hammer, along with suspected explosive materials and the man was further arrested on suspicion of possession of explosive materials. Whilst in custody, the 27-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.”
A 35-year-old man was taken to hospital at the time for treatment to minor injuries. Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Jon Cross said: “We understand an incident of this nature would have caused concern amongst the local community, and we can now confirm that the scene guard that remained in place at the property overnight to allow specialist officers to finalise their enquiries safely, has been lifted.
“Following the discovery of suspected explosive materials inside the address, a 100-metre safety cordon was immediately put in place along with road closures around the area as a precautionary measure. Local residents were evacuated to a safe place and Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) attended the scene to assess the suspected explosive materials.
“Upon the conclusion of the EOD assessment, a cordon remained in place on Watts Road to allow specialist officers to continue to search the property and seize any additional suspected explosive materials from inside the address. During the early hours of Saturday, 30 August the cordon was lifted fully, and residents were able to safely return home.
“All materials have since been removed from the address, and they will now be tested and disposed of accordingly. We would like to thank all residents and those in the local area for their patience, assistance and understanding throughout the entirety of the process.
“We must take all reports of this nature seriously and put necessary precautions in place to ensure the safety of our communities. The 27-year-old man has since been conditionally bailed pending further investigation into the full circumstances around the reports and suspected explosive materials.
“We would urge anyone with any information or concerns to please speak to officers when you see them or contact us via our non-emergency number 101 quoting crime reference 25*121098. You can also report anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
The 54-year-old man has also been released on conditional bail whilst enquiries continue.