'Major incident' declared in Lake District village and 50 homes evacuated overnight

A 'major incident' was declared by police overnight in a Lake District village and more than 50 homes were evacuated after a 'suspicious item' was found in a house.

Bomb disposal teams remained at the scene in Ulverston on Thursday morning, as residents moved to a leisure centre were waking up. A 46-year-old man was arrested and held in custody overnight, Cumbria Police said.

In a statement today, Cumbria Police said: "A multi-agency operation remains ongoing in Ulverston. A major incident was declared last night (6 December) after 53 homes had to be evacuated as a safety precaution following the discovery of a suspicious item within a house on Steel Street.

READ MORE: Chanel puts the eyes of the world on Manchester - and we deserve nothing less

READ MORE: Troubled Forest Bank prison 'in partial lockdown'

"An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team are continuing their assessment to safely resolve this incident."

Chief Superintendent Mick Bird, Cumbria Constabulary, said: "I fully appreciate that this been a long night for those who have been evacuated from their homes as a necessary safety precaution.

"As a multi-agency, we are doing all we can to support them. I hope that we can allow them to safely return to their homes as soon as possible. The EOD are working to ensure the safety of all residents as they continue their assessment.

"Once again, I would like to thank the residents for their ongoing patience."

Exactly what the suspicious item is hasn't been revealed, but tourists are being urged to avoid the area. Cumbria Police said North Lonsdale Road remained closed between Sir John Barrow Way and Steel Street.

A 100m cordon was put in place and as Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams assessed a 'potential