A suspect package that brought Lincoln transport to a standstill today was a ‘bit of shopping’ according to Lincolnshire Police.
At around 12 this afternoon, a bus driver found a package on their vehicle and police were alerted- eventually prompting the evacuation and closure of Lincoln Central Bus Station, Lincoln Central Railway Station and Lincoln Central Car Park.
Major roads through the city were also closed, and a police cordon stretching 100 metres was erected.
But Chief Inspector Stewart Brinn, from Lincolnshire Police, said he was satisfied that the package was a ‘genuine mistake’.
He said: “I’m just told that it’s a genuine bit of shopping with some electronic equipment and that there’s no intent on anybody’s behalf to turn it into a hoax.
“It’s an electronic device, that’s why it looked enough to trigger the suspicions of everybody involved and it’s quite right that people did that. I’m really pleased that someone took the time to report it.”
Investigations into the package were conducted jointly by Lincolnshire Police and British Transport Police, with bomb disposal units being spotted at the scene.
Travel disruption lasted for hours, with East Midlands Trains at one point advising commuters not to travel to or from Lincoln.
Simon Walters, Director for Communities and Environment at the City of Lincoln Council, said that the incident was dealt with ‘very professionally’.
He said: “Obviously it was a very serious incident, it’s our new city centre bus station, so whilst we accept there was incredible disruption for people, it was great to see how all the services came together to deal with the incident and keep public safety paramount.
“I’m upset that the incident happened and I’m upset for people who have been delayed, but I’m really pleased with the way we all responded to it.”
Normal train and bus timetables resumed this evening, roads were re-opened, the police cordon was lifted and barriers blocking Lincoln Central Car Park were lifted.
Chief Inspector Brinn said that the incident was a ‘real opportunity’ for the police.
He said: “I think it shows that public vigilance works in Lincoln and we’ve learnt a lot from the incident and we’ll be able to put that learning into practice moving forward.
“I would like to thank everybody who’s been involved, particularly from the public… everybody’s been really good natured and it has made life a lot easier for all of us to deal with the situation.”