Wiltshire Police has issued an update after a street was evacuated on Wednesday (3 May).
999 crews rushed to reports of ‘suspicious substances’ found in a shed at the rear of a property in Clitchbury Close, Badbury Park, Swindon, at around 4.45pm.
Fire crews, supported by the ambulance service and police, assessed the ‘explosion risk’ and deemed an urgent evacuation of several neighbouring addresses necessary.
The road was cordoned off and local residents – including numerous children – were forced to wait in their vehicles nearby or find somewhere to stay.
It’s understood that Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service crews were able to deal with potentially hazardous chemicals located in the outbuilding.
At around 6.45pm, approximately two hours after the incident began, the cordons were lifted and people were allowed back to their homes.
A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police told Wiltshire 999s that, on the advice of the explosive ordnance disposal team, the area had been declared safe.
At the height of the incident, two fire crews and seven police officers were in attendance alongside a bronze commander and inter-agency liaison officer from South Western Ambulance Service.
