The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Staff evacuated in office bomb scare
Suspicious package sent to politician sees Dunfermline lockdown
A Dunfermline street was put on lockdown after SNP politician Douglas Chapman became the latest target in a spate of suspicious deliveries.
Mr Chapman and his staff were evacuated from his constituency office in Douglas Street shortly after 2pm yesterday. There were fears the security alert could be a bomb threat and shop workers were told to remain in their premises. But emergency services were later stood down and Mr Chapman thanked police for their quick response.
Last week Forfar town centre was brought to a standstill after a letter with an alleged anthrax threat was delivered to council offices.
Police have issued security advice to politicians in Scotland after a spate of suspicious deliveries.
A Dunfermline street was on lockdown after a suspicious package was delivered to the office of SNP politician Douglas Chapman.
Douglas Street was sealed off by police and shopkeepers told to remain within their premises after the security alert shortly before 2pm yesterday.
Mr Chapman and his staff had been evacuated from his constituency headquarters while police officers assessed the package.
In his only statement, Mr Chapman said: “A suspicious package was dealt with by Police Scotland and the situation has now been resolved.
“My staff and the tenants who share the building with us were my first concern.
“Thanks to Police Scotland for their swift response and their reassuring manner in dealing with the situation.”
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “Police in Fife were called to a premises on Douglas Street in Dunfermline around 1.50pm on Thursday May 4 following the delivery of a suspicious package.”
Following recent hoax deliveries, local shop workers were unperturbed by the drama unfolding in the street.
One said: “At one point, we did think we should leave in case it was a bomb but we decided to stay.”
Another said: “A few people got evacuated at the bottom of the street because they were right across from it.”
Last week, Forfar town centre was brought to a standstill after a letter with an alleged anthrax threat was delivered to council offices.
The letter writer claimed it contained spores of the disease and it included the message “Get SNP out. Tories in”.
It was later confirmed the package did not contain any hazardous substances.
Police have issued security advice to politicians in Scotland after a spate of suspicious deliveries.
They said the packages were “associated with the forthcoming UK general election”.
Another SNP politician, John Nicolson, was targeted in a similar incident.
Emergency services were recently scrambled to his Kirkintilloch constituency office.
On April 27 a suspicious package led to a security alert at the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan.
Again, no hazardous substances were discovered.
The Dunfermline incident caused congestion in and around the town centre.
A spokeswoman for Stagecoach East Scotland said: “Due to the incident in Dunfermline town this afternoon there is significant congestion in the surrounding areas and our services are likely to be delayed.”