Supermarket in UK's Essex evacuated over bomb threat
UK police and Defense Ministry officers have been rushed to Essex, in southeast England, to see to reports of a potential bomb attack targeting an American-linked supermarket.
Media reports said the Asda branch supermarket in Chelmer Village, in Chelmsford, was evacuated after reports emerged of a suspicious package left in the shopping center.
A Ministry of Defense explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) unit was swiftly dispatched to the store, which is linked to American giant Walmart, to investigate the case. Police and other security staff were ordering people and other personnel out while advising scared people living in the area not to approach the scene.
“Something is going down at Chelmer Village Asda. All three emergency services are there and more are appearing on blues and twos. Police have closed off the access to the car park,” said a bystander.
Both the store and the car park remained cordoned off until 1 pm local time as the security operation continued for three hours.
“We have lifted the cordon at the Asda store ... and the Ministry of Defence EOD unit has taken the package away. Our investigations and enquiries are continuing,” said a spokesman for Essex Police.
Britain has been facing an increasing threat of terrorist attacks since a wave of militancy ebbed in the Middle East. Many British nationals who once joined terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria have been returning home, prompting fears that they could launch deadly attacks on crowded places of gathering.
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