A 50-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of making a hoax bomb threat outside Sheffield Cathedral, South Yorkshire Police have confirmed.
Officers were called the scene after two reports of suspicious packages being left near the cathedral at around 1.10pm this afternoon, October 16th.
The cathedral was evacuated and pedestrians were being told to cross the road to avoid walking close to the building.
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “We were called at around 1.10pm yesterday afternoon (Monday 16 October) following reports of two suspicious packages in the area near Sheffield Cathedral.
“Officers attended the scene to assess the items. The first was found to be a suitcase containing paint and other non-suspicious items. The second was a rucksack containing blankets.
“Church Street was closed for a short period of time, causing minor delays to bus and tram services, but has since reopened.
“A 50-year-old male has been arrested on suspicion of making a hoax bomb threat. Enquiries are ongoing.”
The area was closed off by approximately six police vehicles and two ambulances and an incident response unit shortly after 2pm for just over an hour.
As more information is reveled, a book launch event which was due to be held at the Cathedral tonight as part of the Off The Shelf, Festival of Words, has been cancelled, assumingly due to incident.
We are monitoring the situation for updates.