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A1 road closed near Catterick after 'explosion' A1 road reopens near Catterick after 'explosion'
(about 2 hours later)
The A1 road has been closed at Catterick, North Yorkshire, after reports of an explosion. The A1 road has reopened after a day of police searches following reports of an explosion near Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire.
North Yorkshire Police was alerted by staff at the Army's Marne Barracks, part of nearby Catterick Garrison, at 03:00 GMT, but has still not located an actual explosion site. Police closed the busy route throughout Saturday after reports that an explosion was heard near Marne Barracks at 03:00 GMT.
The search is continuing in the area adjacent to the A1, and slip roads in and out of the village are also shut. Officers conducted searches across the area where the noise was reported but found no obvious signs of an explosion.
Motorists have been advised to avoid the area. No-one was injured and police have ruled out any links to terrorism.
The force said Catterick village was "heavily congested". North Yorkshire Police said eight members of the public came forward to report hearing what they described as an explosion in the area.
A spokeswoman for the Highways Agency said the closure affected a six-mile (10km) stretch of road. The initial call was made by staff at the barracks.
Newcastle United fans travelling to the away game with West Ham are among those affected. Supt Dave Hannan said police kept the road closed for so long, which caused mass congestion and frustration for thousands of motorists, for public safety.
The club said it had notified West Ham officials of the situation. He said: "We are satisfied that the call to the police was made with good intent.
The A1 runs adjacent to the barracks, formerly RAF Catterick. "In view of the location of the suspected explosion, the source of the information, the current threat to UK security and a report a few hours earlier of a vehicle seen in suspicious circumstances outside the barracks, we were not prepared to take any chances with people's safety and had to carry out a very extensive and thorough investigation.
'Largest training establishment' "Officers have worked throughout the night and day to identify and locate the driver of the vehicle and we are now satisfied that he was not connected to the reported explosion and we have now eliminated him from our enquiries.
A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police said: "The search remains focused on the area outside of the barracks and the area adjacent to the A1, although at this stage, it cannot be ruled out that it has occurred within the boundary of the barracks. "We have also ruled out any link to terrorism.
"The safety of members of the public, including passing motorists, is our prime concern and therefore all security precautions must be taken to protect members of the public until we find out exactly what has occurred." "We may never find out what the source of the explosion was, however, following the search and investigation I am now satisfied that there is no threat to members of the public.
"A number of possibilities have been looked into, however, there is no information or evidence to say this reported explosion was a criminal or deliberate act."
During the course of the search, the Army's bomb disposal unit was called to the discovery of the box of ageing detonators near the perimeter fence of Marne Barracks, these have now been removed for safe disposal.
They have been ruled out as the cause of the reported explosion.
A spokesman for Catterick Garrison said the inquiry was police-led and did not have any information about how close the explosion was to the barracks.A spokesman for Catterick Garrison said the inquiry was police-led and did not have any information about how close the explosion was to the barracks.
On the Ministry of Defence website, Catterick Garrison is described as the army's "largest training establishment".On the Ministry of Defence website, Catterick Garrison is described as the army's "largest training establishment".
It covers 2,400 acres (971 hectares) and 20,000 acres (8,094 hectares) of training land.It covers 2,400 acres (971 hectares) and 20,000 acres (8,094 hectares) of training land.
The garrison is situated just a few miles from the A1 and also includes the outstations of Ripon, Dishforth and Topcliffe.The garrison is situated just a few miles from the A1 and also includes the outstations of Ripon, Dishforth and Topcliffe.
Are you in the area? Did you hear or see anything? Are you affected by the road closures? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number.Are you in the area? Did you hear or see anything? Are you affected by the road closures? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number.
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