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| Suspicious packages found at army career offices and RAF base | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Counter-terrorism police and military bomb disposal teams are investigating reports that suspicious packages have been sent to army careers offices in Oxford, Slough, Brighton, Canterbury, Aldershot, Reading and Chatham. Another package was found at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk. | |
| Queensmere shopping centre in Slough was evacuated on Thursday, a spokesman for the centre confirmed, while St Giles in Oxford was closed. It is understood a suspicious package was also reported at the army careers office in St Peters Street, Canterbury. The Kentish Gazette said officers had set up a cordon and shoppers were being told to avoid the area. | |
| Sussex police said a bomb disposal team had been called in after a suspicious package was reported in Queen's Road, Brighton, at 10.40am. The road was sealed off between North Road and North Street, and neighbouring streets were also closed, including Spring Gardens, Kew Street, Zion Gardens, Windsor Street, Titchbourne Street and Church Street. | Sussex police said a bomb disposal team had been called in after a suspicious package was reported in Queen's Road, Brighton, at 10.40am. The road was sealed off between North Road and North Street, and neighbouring streets were also closed, including Spring Gardens, Kew Street, Zion Gardens, Windsor Street, Titchbourne Street and Church Street. |
| Insp James Davidson said: "A number of roads have been sealed off and some buildings are being evacuated while the package is investigated. I would ask people to stay away from the area for the next few hours while we deal with the incident." | |
| The East Anglian Daily Times reported that a suspicious package was found in a vehicle entering RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk just before 8.30am. As a result the main gate to the base was closed until 11am. | |
| Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Parker told the paper: "Security personnel discovered the package and initiated enhanced security measures. The British explosive ordnance disposal unit is on scene to investigate the package. All security measures are in place to ensure the safety of individuals until officials can determine the contents of the package." | |
| Suspicious packages are understood to have been sent to army careers offices in Chatham and Reading on Tuesday this week, and another was found at an office in Aldershot on Wednesday. | |
| DS Stan Gilmour, of the south-east counter terrorism unit, said: "Because suspicious packages were found at various locations yesterday, notes were sent out to all the army careers offices, as well as the Post Office, asking staff to be extra vigilant and look out for any suspect packages." | |
| A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said security advice to service personnel had been reiterated: "We can confirm that we are aware of security incidents ongoing in Oxford, Slough and Brighton involving armed forces careers offices. The relevant police authorities are investigating with military EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) teams in support." | A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said security advice to service personnel had been reiterated: "We can confirm that we are aware of security incidents ongoing in Oxford, Slough and Brighton involving armed forces careers offices. The relevant police authorities are investigating with military EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) teams in support." |
| The Guardian understands that police do not believe the incidents to be inspired by al-Qaida. |