UK counterterrorism police detained a 27-year-old man from Leeds after a potentially suspicious package was discovered near a maternity unit at St. James’ hospital. The hospital on Friday morning declared a critical incident and evacuated patients from the Gledhow wing. Counterterrorism police also announced that they had opened an investigation into the matter however, they made no mention of the offences the suspect had allegedly committed.
In order to help determine the entire facts surrounding the incident, West Yorkshire police stated counter-terrorism policing north-east has “deployed resources with access to specific skills.”
Nearly a mile from Leeds’s city centre, the Gledhow wing is under heavy police security while bomb-disposal specialists from the army’s Royal Logistical Corps look into the potentially suspicious parcel. The Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, which is in charge of St. James’s Hospital, said it had declared a critical incident “so that we can keep employees and patients safe.”
West Yorkshire police advised visitors to stay away from the Gledhow wing entrance and said that a cordon had been set up as a safety precaution.
The National Health Service (NHS) trust said, “Emergency services are currently dealing with a suspicious package incident outside the Gledhow wing at St James’s hospital.” “A cordon has been put in place as a precautionary measure to ensure public safety and we have been working with the police to evacuate some ward areas to keep our patients and staff safe.”
“Patients are being asked to attend hospital as normal for appointments, unless they are contacted otherwise. Visiting for patients who are currently in Gledhow wing and Lincoln wing at St James’s hospital is suspended until we have more information. Accident and emergency at St James’s is still open,” it added.
Moreover, West Yorkshire police said that officers are liaising with army specialists who are at the scene to make an assessment in line with normal procedures. “People are asked to avoid the entrance to the Gledhow wing at this time.”
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