‘Wire and a battery’ found in shoe box as police probe suspect bomb
Ranger finds box in city gardens Contents moved and detonated
A major police operation remains under way after a suspect bomb was discovered in the heart of Edinburgh during the evening rush hour.
The package contained in an unmarked brown shoe box was discovered by chance in a shelter on Princes Street Gardens by a park ranger.
Detectives have not disclosed the contents of the box, but it is understood it included “wires and a battery” and was left on the ground.
The discovery was enough for police to engage emergency protocols and seal off the area. Army bomb disposal experts were called in from Craigiehall.
A team of explosive experts carried out a controlled detonation on the package about 8:10pm on Thursday – around three hours after the alarm was first raised.
A “gold” meeting of senior commanders decided to extend the parameters of the investigation and call in specialist support to conduct a sweep of the area and trawl CCTV for the identity of whoever left the package.
Chief inspector Alan Carson said: “We’re looking into all possibilities and not ruling anything out. We’re keeping an open mind and it’s early stages.
“We know it wasn’t a viable device. It could’ve been a hoax. It could’ve been someone who left it behind carelessly.”
He added: “It may have been something made to look like a bomb or it may have been left completely innocently – entirely by accident.” Chief Inspector Carson revealed there was no note and no phone call to emergency services. The box was only found on the north side of the gardens during a routine patrol by the ranger who opened it before calling police. Members of the public were in the grounds at the time, but no evacuation was carried out.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed it was a team from the 30-strong 521 Squadron of the 11 Explosive Ordinance Regiment at Craigiehall who dealt with the package. They moved the contents towards King’s Stables Road where it was destroyed. The area remained closed yesterday.
Officers are checking CCTV while Princes Street Gardens is expected to reopen today after a search by expert teams.
Mr Carson said: “It’s such a complex area to search because of the terrain and the environment.
“We need to search the area thoroughly for anything suspicious or of concern or that leads us to identify who left the item.”
Police insisted the item posed no danger, but said officers were treating the incident with “the utmost seriousness” given the security climate.
Officers are not treating the find as terror-related and no intelligence exists of a specific threat to the Capital, though the UK alert remains “severe”.
andy.shipley@jpress.co.uk