2 weeks Ago
A seafront road has been reopened following a major incident this weekend. Police were called to a property on the A259 Marina in St Leonards on Thursday (March 20) following concerns over suspected chemicals found at the address. A section of the road was closed, and nearby homes were evacuated.
More than 500 cannisters of chemicals were found inside the property, which have now been desensitised and disposed of safely. This included an additional 30 vessels of unidentified substances which are currently being tested. The police cordon on the A259 over the weekend (Image: Sussex News and Pictures) Sussex Police have confirmed that the road has now reopened and remaining displaced residents have been able to return to their homes.
A traffic light system has been put in place on the road which police warn may lead to some congestion. READ MORE: Updates as homes evacuated during bomb squad incident A police guard remained on the scene overnight with the remaining chemicals which have been made safe and awaiting suitable transportation today (March 24). Police will remain present in the area over the coming days as additional investigations are carried out inside the property and to provide visible reassurance to the public.
A 28-year-old man was arrested and has been detained under the Mental Health Act. (Image: Sussex News and Pictures) Detective Superintendent Steve May said: “This has been a challenging few days for all involved, particularly those residents evacuated from their homes, and I would like to thank the public for their patience and support during this operation. “We are doing all we can, with our partners, to bring this incident to a safe resolution and return the area to normality.
I am confident the end is now well within sight. “We are aware of speculation among the public around the full circumstances of this incident, and I would like to reiterate that, at this time, there is nothing to suggest any sinister motivation from the individual who has been detained, nor any ongoing risk to the public. “There is currently no evidence to suggest any links to terror, extremist ideology or large-scale drug production.
“There is a live police investigation ongoing that limits the details we can release at this time, but more information will be provided as soon as we are able.”.
