Town lockdown after suspicious package found.

Man led out of house and believed to be taken to hospital as town street is sealed off in emergency

A man had to be removed from a house in St Andrews following the discovery of a suspicious package.

Emergency services sealed off the area when the alarm was raised at around 1.30pm yesterday.

They later took a man from the property in St Mary Street into an ambulance and it is believed he was taken to Ninewells Hospital.

Several bags were also removed from the house, near the junction with Woodburn Place.

Four ambulances, two fire engines and several police cars were at the scene as the drama unfolded.

Police confirmed they had attended following a report of a “potentially suspicious package”.

Witness James Glen said: “The only thing that I’ve heard is that a suspicious package was found in one of the homes.

“There was quite a large response from police and fire service.”

Before the man was led from the property, emergency services personnel, some of them dressed in protective overalls with hoods pulled up, could be heard shouting to him to stay where he was.

The man walked out of the house, apparently uninjured, at 3.45pm.

Another eyewitness, who did not want to be named, said: “It seems there has been a suspicious package and either the guy who reported it or was close to it had to be rescued from the house.

“It was certainly a big turnout from the emergency services.”

A stretch of the road was cordoned off, with traffic diverted at Lamond Drive and South Street, causing tailbacks around the town.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police in Fife are in attendance along with other emergency services at an address in St Mary Street, St Andrews, after a report of a potentially suspicious package.

“Inquiries into the full circumstances are at an early stage and ongoing.”

A spokesman for the fire service said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was requested at 1.36pm on Thursday June 7 to assist emergency service partners at St Mary Street in St Andrews.”

Emergency services left the scene and the cordon was lifted at 5pm.

cpeebles@thecourier.co.uk

Pictures: Steven Brown. Above and right: emergency crews out in force after reports of the suspicious package. Below: Police control traffic flow through St Andrews outside St Leonards School.