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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Suspect package shuts city centre | Suspect package shuts city centre |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Most services in and out of Snow Hill are suspended | |
| An area of Birmingham city centre has been cordoned off after reports of a suspicious package being put through the postbox of the Refugee Council. | An area of Birmingham city centre has been cordoned off after reports of a suspicious package being put through the postbox of the Refugee Council. |
| The building in Lionel Street has been evacuated along with several others nearby and some train services at Snow Hill station have been suspended. | The building in Lionel Street has been evacuated along with several others nearby and some train services at Snow Hill station have been suspended. |
| As a precaution police said they had closed Lionel Street, Constitution Hill and Livery Street. | As a precaution police said they had closed Lionel Street, Constitution Hill and Livery Street. |
| The army bomb disposal unit have been sent to the scene. | |
| 'Precautionary measure' | 'Precautionary measure' |
| West Midlands Police were contacted at 1015 BST and were at the scene within five minutes, a spokesman said. | |
| About 300 people have been told to leave the affected buildings, Supt Sue Southern said. | |
| British Transport Police have closed the track between Snow Hill and the Jewellery Quarter train stations, affecting Chiltern Railways and London Midland services. | British Transport Police have closed the track between Snow Hill and the Jewellery Quarter train stations, affecting Chiltern Railways and London Midland services. |
| National Rail said that because of this there are no trains running between The Hawthorns and Birmingham Moor Street. Trains in the area are being delayed by up to 50 minutes. | |
| Passengers are advised to check before travelling and some tickets will now be valid with other operators, a spokesman said. | |
| British Waterways has also closed off a stretch of canal that runs through the area, police said. | British Waterways has also closed off a stretch of canal that runs through the area, police said. |
| Supt Southern said: "The road closures and evacuations are a precautionary measure that we need to undertake until we have established what the package contains." | |
| Police are working with the city council, fire and ambulance crews as well as police-trained volunteers, she added. |