Suspect packages prompt evacuation at council HQ

An investigation has been launched following the discovery of suspicious packages at a council building in Derbyshire.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to Amber Valley Borough Council's Town Hall building, in Ripley, on Tuesday morning.

Staff were evacuated "as a precaution", police said, but have since been allowed to return.

The fire service said tests confirmed the packages were "safe" and nobody had been harmed.

Market Place was cordoned off and members of the public were asked to avoid the area while the incident was dealt with but the operation was later scaled back.

David Diggins, group manager for Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "The packages were spread across two different sites in the area.

"[We went] through a process of sampling the packages and confirming what was in them. [They] were not dangerous to the public."

He also praised the "vigilance" of staff who called the emergency services.

The full contents of the packages was not confirmed but Mr Diggins said one of them contained what looked like "a wooden block" and another unidentifiable item.

He said they were "not what you'd expect to find in an envelope".

A spokesperson for Amber Valley Borough Council said: "It's obviously a relief to know that test results of the suspicious package have come back clear and that neither council staff nor the wider community were at risk.

"All staff have now been authorised to return to the building.

"We would nevertheless like to thank the emergency services for their exemplary response to the incident, ensuring that all staff and members of the public remained safe at all times.

"We are unable to comment further at this stage while the police continue to conduct their investigation."

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