A 27-year-old man was arrested on Friday after police responded to a suspicious package outside a Leeds hospital, prompting some patients to be evacuated.
The man was arrested on suspicion of firearms and explosives offences after being found in possession of a suspected firearm and a suspicious device in the hospital grounds, Counter Terrorism Policing North East said.
Emergency services were called to the Gledhow Wing of St James’ Hospital on Friday morning, which houses the majority of its maternity services including the delivery suite.
A statement said: “Emergency services were called to a potentially suspicious package outside the Gledhow Wing of St James’s Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds earlier this morning.
“A cordon has been put in place as a precautionary measure for public safety and army specialists are in attendance to make an assessment in line with normal procedures.
“People are asked to avoid the entrance to the Gledhow Wing at this time while the cordon remains in place.
“As a safety precaution, some people have been evacuated from the immediate vicinity.
A 27-year-old man from Leeds has been arrested in connection with the matter.
“Due to the nature of the incident, CTP North East has deployed resources with access to specialist capabilities to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
“Emergency department at St James’s remains open, and patients are asked to attend outpatient appointments as normal unless contacted otherwise.”
In a statement, the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “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.”
The trust said the accident and emergency department remains open.
