'Major incident' at Southmead Hospital - full police statement after bomb squad called
Nobody was hurt, but the Bristol hospital's A&E department was evacuated
A man has been arrested on suspicion of making a bomb hoax after a "security incident" sparked a major incident at a Bristol hospital.
Southmead Hospital's A&E department was evacuated while armed police, fire crews and the bomb squad were called to the scene yesterday (10 March).
The man arrested has now been taken into the care of the mental health service (11 March), after being detained under the Mental Health Act.
Avon and Somerset Police do not believe the incident to be terrorism-related.
Avon and Somerset Police were first called to the incident at 10.45am and a large cordon was put in place.
The North Bristol NHS Trust - which runs the hospital - declared a major incident which was stood down at around 1.35pm.
All outpatient appointments have been cancelled for the day and people were urged to avoid the area. First Bus services were also diverted.
Emergency services at the scene of the incident
In a statement issued shortly after 2pm, Avon and Somerset Police said: "Armed officers arrested a man at Southmead Hospital’s A&E department this morning after he claimed to be in possession of explosives.
"A cordon was put in place while the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit examined a number of bags.
"This cordon has now been lifted after the EOD declared the area safe.
"As a precaution, A&E was evacuated while the incident was dealt with and the North Bristol NHS Trust declared a major incident due to the wider impact on NHS services. The major incident has now be stood down.
"The man arrested has been detained on suspicion of making a bomb hoax and remains in police custody.
"We do not believe this incident to be terrorism-related."
Nobody was injured during the incident and police have thanked the public for their patience.
North Bristol Neighbourhood Inspector Lorna Dallimore said: “I appreciate the concern this incident may have caused residents and patients and I’d like to reassure them there were no injuries and there is no risk to the wider public.
“The emergency services have well-rehearsed plans for dealing with major incidents. We’re immensely grateful for the public’s patience while emergency services attended the scene and ensured the area was safe.
“Neighbourhood officers are in the area and I’d encourage anyone with any concerns to speak to them directly or alternatively contact their neighbourhood team via 101.”
The NHS trust confirmed the package was found in its emergency department and has since been declared safe.
"We’d like to thank the public for their support during this time and their help in keeping our staff and patients safe," they said in a statement.
"We’d also like to thank staff for their quick actions and responsiveness.
"Outpatient appointments remain cancelled for the remainder of the day in order for us to deal with the knock-on effects of today’s incident. We apologise for this disruption and thank the public for their patience."
Some outpatient appointments will continue in the women's and children's, dialysis and chemotherapy departments as well as in the breast and brain centres.