Man, 53, arrested after suspicious package sent to Covid-19 vaccine factory in Wrexham

Kent Police have detained a man after a suspicious package was sent to a Covid-19 vaccine production plant in north Wales. 

The package is reported to have been received at the Wrexham facility on the morning of Wednesday 27 January.

In a statement, the force said: "As part of ongoing enquiries, which are being carried out by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, pre-planned warrants took place at addresses in Luton Road and Chatham Hill, Chatham, on the morning of Thursday 28 January. 

"A 53-year-old man from Chatham has been arrested on suspicion of sending the packages and remains in custody as enquiries continue. 

"There is no evidence to suggest there is an ongoing threat."

The Wrexham factory carries out the "fill and finish" stage of the manufacturing process for doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

North Wales Police confirmed that they received a call reporting the package at around 10:40 on Wednesday morning.

The site, which employs around 400 people, had to be evacuated while emergency services and a military bomb disposal team investigated.

Police officers imposed a security cordon around the site, closing nearby roads to all traffic.

Soldiers from the army's Royal Logistics Corps were later seen taking away the contents of the package for analysis.

Vaccine production at the factory was temporarily paused while the investigation took place.

Wockhardt, the pharmaceutical company which runs the Wrexham facility, later confirmed that production had re-started.

A spokesperson said: "This temporary suspension of manufacturing has in no way affected our production schedule and we are grateful to the authorities and experts for their swift response and resolution of the incident."