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Package incident 'malicious hoax' | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Police are investigating whether a suspicious package put in a post box of the Refugee Council in Birmingham was a racially-motivated "malicious hoax". | |
A package found in the Lionel Street office was not harmful, West Midlands Police said, and a cordoned off area was later reopened. | |
It said it was keeping an open mind in terms of motive, "but cannot rule out that it was racially motivated". | |
Some train services at Snow Hill station were suspended. | |
Lionel Street, Constitution Hill and Livery Street were closed while the package was investigated. | |
Trains delayed | |
The army bomb disposal unit was sent to the scene. | |
Police were contacted at 1015 BST and were at the scene within five minutes, a spokesman said. | |
About 300 people were told to leave the affected buildings. | |
British Transport Police closed the track between the Snow Hill and Jewellery Quarter stations, affecting Chiltern Railways and London Midland services. | |
National Rail said earlier that because of this there were no trains running between The Hawthorns and Birmingham Moor Street. | |
Trains in the area were being delayed by up to 50 minutes, but the track reopened in the afternoon. | |
Police thanked people for "their patience and understanding". | |
The Refugee Council champions the rights of asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. |