Man arrested under the Explosives Act after 'suspicous items' found at house in Lancashire

A man has been arrested under the Explosives Act after police found 'suspicious items' at a house in Lancashire.

Police executed a warrant at an address on Nursery Close, Leyland, at around 6am this morning (June 22). Officers discovered a "number of suspicious items" and arrested a 59-year-old man at the scene.

According to police, emergency services remain at the scene while a number of properties have been evacuated.

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Bomb squad personnel have been spotted at the police cordon on site as well as Lancashire Police's Chief Inspector Gary Cowe.

In a statement, Lancashire Constabulary said: "You may have noticed a police presence in the area close to Broadfield Drive in Leyland so we wanted to let you know what is going on. We executed a warrant at an address on Nursery Close in Leyland at around 6am this morning (Thursday, June 22nd) and at the address we found a number of suspicious items.

"A 59-year-old man from Leyland was arrested at the scene under the Explosives Act, and he remains in custody. Emergency services remain at the scene and a number of properties have been evacuated."

Speaking to Lancs Live, MP Katherine Fletcher said: "I am being kept updated by Lancashire Police about a major incident in the centre of Leyland this morning. There is a large cordon around the Broadfield Drive area of the town that extends into the civic centre.

"A man has been arrested following the execution of a search warrant at an address. This is an excellent example of our police working proactively to protect our communities.

"I thank all officers involved for their work today."