Blast after college chemical scare
FEARS OVER STORAGE SPARKS BIG TOWN MOOR OPERATION
A CONTROLLED explosion was carried out on Newcastle’s Town Moor after hazardous chemicals were removed from the city’s college.
Early yesterday, Northumbria Police were told potentially dangerous chemicals had been identified at Newcastle College.
The concerns surrounded the way the chemicals had been stored.
A cordon was placed around the college site in the city’s Scotswood Road while the materials were taken away to be disposed of safely.
Officers said there was “nothing untoward or suspicious” about the chemicals and the concerns were purely about how they had been stored.
The controlled explosion was carried by an Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team on the Town Moor just after 9.30am.
The college caters for about 20,000 students
A police spokesman added: “We would like to stress there was nothing untoward or suspicious about this incident.
“A diligent member of staff raised concern and as a precaution the chemicals were disposed of safely by explosives ordnance disposal.
“I’d like to thank residents for their patience and understanding while emergency services dealt with the incident as we appreciate there will have been some disruption.”
A number of city roads were blocked off while the incident was dealt with.
Police said the controlled explosion “followed advice that had been issued nationally about the storage of particular chemicals used at schools and colleges across the country”. Police and firefighters could be seen on the Town Moor carrying out the explosion. Sarah Humble, a former pupil at the college, said: “This is the first time I’ve heard of this type of thing happening. I didn’t even know there were chemicals stored there. Seems like the police have sorted it out pretty quickly, though.”
A diligent member of staff raised concern and as a precaution the chemicals were disposed of safely Police spokesman