Suspicious item turns out to be gardening tool after police close Hartlepool roads
A suspicious item which sparked police road closures turned out to be gardening equipment.
Cleveland Police placed a cordon around a property in Caistor Drive, in Hartlepool, on Friday after the alarm was raised over what they describe as “a potential public safety incident”.
But when experts arrived they concluded that the item at the centre of the mystery was “old metal gardening equipment”.
The force said in a statement: “Since public safety is always our top priority, a cordon was put in place and officers also closed some nearby roads as a precaution.
“An item discovered in a garden was examined by experts and confirmed to be old metal gardening equipment.
“No households were evacuated and residents were provided with appropriate updates and advice.
“We would like to thank local people for their co-operation and understanding whilst we worked to bring the matter to a safe conclusion for all.”