'Explosives, guns and drugs' found in Worle police raid as 150 homes evacuated

'Explosives, guns and drugs' found in Worle police raid as 150 homes evacuated 'Tubs' suspected of containing explosives, an air rifle, firearm and drugs were all found inside a property in Worle near Weston-super-Mare Explosives, an air rifle and drugs were found inside a home as a man aged 70 was arrested and more than 150 homes were evacuated by a bomb squad. The incident took place as detectives were sent to an address in Worle near Weston-super-Mare at around 11.15am yesterday to carry out an arrest attempt in connection with a fraud investigation. A 70-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation as part of the operation but a search of the property on Becket Road uncovered a number of suspicious items. These included suspected explosives and so specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers were called to the scene. A 100m cordon was put in place and 153 properties were evacuated. Bomb squad officers were unable to enter the property where the sinister discovery was made for five hours, however, as some residents remained in their homes. The bomb squad finally entered the address at around 7.30pm and found explosive material. This was removed from the house and destroyed, Avon and Somerset Police said. A room-by-room search revealed further suspicious items, including a firearm and drugs, which have also been removed from the address by officers. As a result, the 70-year-old man was further arrested on suspicion of being in possession of explosive substances for unlawful purpose. He remains in police custody. The cordon that was put in place was lifted at around 6.15am this morning and residents were allowed back into their homes. A rest centre had initially been set up at Castle Batch Community Centre, later moving to The Campus in Weston-super-Mare. Another location of interest was identified following the searches at a non-residential site off the A370 near Hewish this morning. An EOD unit was sent there but searches were negative. North Somerset Policing Superintendent Jen Appleford said: "I recognise the significant impact this incident has had on residents who were evacuated from their homes last night, and on those living near the cordon. Our priority is always to protect the public and, in situations like this, we sometimes have to make difficult decisions to ensure everyone remains safe. "What began as a routine arrest attempt yesterday quickly developed into a significant multi-agency response involving police, fire and ambulance services, the military’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, alongside colleagues from the NHS and North Somerset Council." Supt Appleford explained that a dogs unit and specialist seach and operational support team were used during the incident. She added that the initial search of the property revealed "tubs" suspected of containing explosives, which led to EOD being called "as a precaution". Supt Appleford said: "While we recognise that evacuating your home is significant, it is an essential part of incidents of this nature and EOD are unable to conduct their searches until the cordoned area has been made safe. Officers and EOD encountered a delay in entering the property to commence searches due to issues with evacuating individuals from within the cordon, but searches were able to commence at around 7.30pm. "Following a detailed search of the address, a number of explosive substances were recovered and safely removed. Additional items, including an air rifle, firearm and drugs, were also located and seized. "I would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding while this complex operation was carried out. I also want to thank our partner agencies for their support throughout the response and to a number of businesses who showed true community spirit in opening their doors, offering food and refreshments for those impacted. "The suspect remains in police custody and enquiries are ongoing. We understand there may be concerns within the community, but we would like to reassure people that there is currently no wider risk to the public and we believe this to be an isolated incident. "Officers will remain in the area while investigations continue and we would encourage anyone with information who may be able to assist our enquiries to contact us."