Residents were warned they ‘may hear a bang’ after 200 homes were evacuated as a precaution in Derby following the arrest of two men on suspicion of explosives offences.
Police say the suspects, in their 40s and 50s, both Polish nationals, remain in custody after being detained on Thursday at an address in Vulcan Street.
Members of the public in the affected area have been urged to stay away for 24 hours, with officers confirming a controlled explosion took place shortly after 4pm.
At a press conference at the scene on Thursday night, Superintendent Rebecca Webster said officers were ‘acting on intelligence about materials at that address’ when they executed the raid.
She said the two men, both Polish nationals, had been arrested on suspicion of explosive offences and remained in custody.
She said there was no wider risk to the community. Those who have been evacuated should prepare to be out of their homes for 24 hours.
Council officials have been at the scene to help locals find temporary accommodation.
One resident said she saw a drone at around 8.30am before the raid was carried out. She said the property was owned by one man who had recently rented a room to two Eastern European men. She said their white van was also seized by police.
Derbyshire Police said: ‘Anyone who lives within the affected area is asked to prepare to be out of their homes for 24 hours and make preparations should they need medicines or require pets to be moved from an address.
Seven roads in total have been confirmed as within the evacuation zone – some partially and others in their entirety
Police say the suspects, in their 40s and 50s, both Polish nationals, remain in custody after being detained at an address in Vulcan Street (file image)
‘The initial rest centre for those affected will be located at the Salvation Army on Osmaston Road and is being run by Derby City Council.
‘The force is working closely with colleagues from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, East Midlands Ambulance Service and Derby City Council.
‘This is not being investigated as a terrorism incident, there is no wider risk to the community, and the evacuations are a precaution to ensure the safety of those in the area.’
The force previously added a controlled explosion would be carried out by the Army’s explosive ordnance division, who were helping officers deal with the ongoing incident.
The cause of the ‘evacuation zone’ remains unclear but police said they were ‘acting on intelligence about materials at the address’.
Police said officers would be knocking on all properties within the cordon and asked anyone who leaves before then to contact the force.
‘Updates will be placed on our force channels as and when they are able to be shared and these will be placed on the Derbyshire Constabulary Facebook page and news page of the force website,’ the force added.
Seven roads in total have been confirmed as within the evacuation zone – some partially and others in their entirety.
Police vans and cordons have been sighted at the scene, with tape in place across the junction of Vulcan Street and Shaftesbury Crescent.
Other images show residents stood on the pavement in the rain as they await updates.
Derbyshire Police said: ‘Anyone who lives within the affected area is asked to prepare to be out of their homes for 24 hours and make preparations’. Pictured: An aerial view of the affected homes (file image)
Traffic cones are also in place as well as signs that read ‘police accident’.
Vulcan Street is in the Normanton ward of Derby, a relatively low-income and ethnically diverse area.
One teenager, who was forced to leave his home, said he was ‘shocked and surprised’ by the incident after neighbours told him it was ‘a bomb’.
Esteban Duda, of Holcombe Street, said: ‘I was in my bed, I just got a banging on my door with them saying there’s a bomb, there’s a bomb, evacuate, so I got my clothes on straight away and got out of the house. I was shocked and surprised.
‘I was shocked about the bomb, so I got out of the house, and I talked to all the residents around the area, everybody was telling me there was a bomb.’
There is currently no access to multiple roads and residents are being turned away from the affected streets.
Gary Robb, from the Salvation Army in Osmaston Road, told the BBC he had suddenly received a call this afternoon asking if the site could act as a ‘rest centre’ for affected households.
‘At the moment the only official work we’ve had is to be a rest centre.
‘We don’t know whether it’s going to be a few hours or longer.
‘We’re going to have a handful of volunteers here through the night,’ he said.
