Controlled burn of chemicals carried out by bomb squad at Sussex address
Another 500 canisters of the chemicals are yet to be burned
A controlled burn of chemicals has been carried out by a bomb squad following an incident at an address in Sussex.
Officers confirmed that explosive chemicals had been burned at an address in the town of St Leonards, as investigations are ongoing to neutralise the remaining canisters.
In total, 500 canisters remain unsafe, with teams working to safely burn the chemicals and render them useless.
A 28-year-old man was arrested by Sussex Police on Thursday (March 20th) on suspicion of producing illegal substances and making an explosive substance for an unlawful purpose.
Following the incident, a major incident was declared on Friday (March 21st), with 73 people being evacuated from their homes, with a 100-metre wide cordon being put in place.
A spokesperson for Sussex Police said that they could not give a time when those who were evacuated could return to their homes.
"Significant progress has been made in making safe chemicals found in a house on the A259 in St Leonards on Thursday (20 March)," the spokesperson said.
"The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team successfully removed the desensitised chemicals from the house and carried out a controlled burn in a skip near the sea wall on Saturday morning (22 March).
"Searches by EOD are continuing this morning for any other hazardous materials in the house, to ensure the house is clear of explosive material and the area is safe."
The spokesperson said they would be working to diffuse the remaining 500 canisters, which they do not believe to contain explosive materials.
"EOD's initial assessment found large quantities of one material that indicated explosive elements in it. Scientific experiments are now being undertaken to determine the exact nature of the chemical."
Decisions are still being made as to whether the upcoming Hastings Half Marathon will be held on Sunday, amid the ongoing investigation.
The man who lived at the property has since been detained under the Mental Health Act, according to the force.
Chief Inspector James Scott from Sussex Police added: "All partners are working hard to resolve the incident as swiftly as possible and allow residents to return to their homes as soon as it is safe.
"We appreciate everyone's support and ongoing patience. We know this has been incredibly disruptive.
"Investigations are ongoing however, from evidence gathered so far, there is no indication that the 28-year-old man arrested intended to cause harm either to himself of anybody else.
"We cannot put an exact timeframe of when the cordon will be reduced and residents can return to their homes but we should know more late afternoon.
"We believe a decision on the half marathon will be made around this time. Further updates will be delivered as soon as they are available."
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