259 homes evacuated as experts investigate 'package'

A 100m (328ft) cordon which resulted in 259 properties being evacuated has been lifted.

Devon and Cornwall Police said a package removed by bomb disposal experts from a house in Plymouth had been investigated by bomb experts and was believed to contain fireworks.

The Royal Navy bomb disposal team were called in after officers searched the property in College Avenue, Mutley, on Tuesday, and arrested a a man in his 20s on suspicion of possession of a firearm without a certificate.

Evacuated residents were told they could return to their homes at about 21:00 GMT and an evacuation assembly point set up at a nearby church closed while a scene guard remained at the property, police said.

Devon and Cornwall police said a white British man, aged 26, remained in police custody.

They said the cordon had been kept in place while police officers and explosives experts carried out searches and located further items which required specialist review.

Police added the bomb disposal team from Devonport had been requested to "assess some items located in the property".

"An Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team attended the scene and have removed a package, believed to contain fireworks, which has been taken away to be made safe," they said.

"A cordon is in place to facilitate emergency service access and public safety while they attend," a police spokesperson added.

Police said there was not believed to be any wider risk and that it was "not believed to be terrorism related at this time".

Plymouth City Council said an evacuation assembly point had been set up for affected households at Mutley Community Hub in Napier Terrace.

Tiffany Barks said she had been staying at a friend's home within the exclusion zone but was asked to leave the area when she came out of the house.

"I've just travelled from 300 miles (482.8km) away in Darlington to be turned out on the street in the rain," she said.

"They didn't give us any warning, my friend is still in the property and doesn't even know I'm out here.

"They've just left me on the street with nothing."

About 12 residents took shelter at the evacuation point at Mutley Baptist Church and were given hot drinks by workers from Plymouth City Council.

Adriana Delgado, who was at the evacuation centre, said: "I arrived to my street and it was closed, they couldn't disclose what was happening, they just said that I couldn't enter my place and it's upsetting."

She said she felt calm and felt welcomed by the team at the evacuation centre but it just reminded her how "unpredictable life is".

Sal Cienich, another evacuated resident, said he had been at work during the day and at 14:00 his flat mates messaged him to say there was a bomb disposal van outside.

He returned from work at 18:00 and was told he could not re-enter his home.

"I feel like it wasn't communicated very well because they (his flatmates) were at some point told it's sort of like an optional evacuation," he said.

"It's no one's fault but it is incredibly frustrating ... I just want to go home really I've got to go work tomorrow and now I don't get an evening. It's frustrating but I'm glad everyone's safe for now."

David Edgar who lives within the cordon said he had been "out in town" just "getting some shopping".

He said: "There was a lady in front of me who was allowed into her house but she was a different number from me so I was not allowed into the inner cordon ....and I have to go to the refuge centre."

He added: "I wasn't allowed to go get my car either, so I was just left with nothing and just have to come here."

The investigation in Mutley is the latest of a series of bomb disposal-related incidents which have occurred in Devon recently.

In January, a 400m (1,312ft) cordon was put in place around the Millbay area of the city after a 50kg (110lb) German World War Two bomb was found.

The device was removed and safely detonated by the navy in the sea.

At the same time, a separate World War Two bomb was dredged up in Exmouth Marina, which led to homes being evacuated.

In February 2024, a large evacuation operation was carried out in the Keyham area of Plymouth when a 500kg (1,102lb) German World War Two bomb was found in a garden.

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