Residents of a quiet residential street in Monmouth were evacuated over the weekend after reports of explosive items being found at a property.
Officers from Gwent Police were called to Castle Close on Saturday, October 3, where specialist personnel from the Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit attended.
Cordon and evacuation
A 100m cordon was put in place around the property, with residents living within the area taken to a safe location in Monmouth town centre.
A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: "We supported the specialist trained personnel from the army’s explosive ordnance disposal unit (EOD) in Castle Close, Monmouth, following reports of explosive items being located at a property on Saturday 3 October.
"A 100-metre cordon was established and those living within this area were taken to a safe location within the town centre.
"One item was destroyed with a controlled explosion; two further items were removed from the property for further testing.
"We’d like to thank the public for their understanding and patience as well as our partner agencies for ensuring the safety of our communities."
Arrest and ongoing enquiries
Gwent Police further confirmed that Avon and Somerset Police led the investigation. A spokesperson from Avon and Somerset Police shared that a man in his sixties had been arrested following the incident, but has since been released on bail.
The full statement reads: "We worked with colleagues at Gwent Police to conduct searches at a property in Monmouth.
"Following these searches, a man in his sixties was arrested on suspicion of transferring a relevant explosive to an unfit transferee. He has been released on bail and enquiries are ongoing."
