UPDATE, WITH VIDEO: Package taken away from Barrowcliff property after unexploded device found

During a search at a property in Barrowcliff Road earlier today, police officers discovered an old unexploded device.

The property is within a three-storey block of flats, near the junction of Barrowcliff Road and Wreyfield Drive, opposite Wreyfield Drive Methodist Church.

A cordon was put in place by police, with approach roads sealed off, including at Wreyfield Drive shops. The row of shops closed as a precaution.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers arrived at the scene mid-afternoon.

A trusted eyewitness at the scene reported that armed police were also in attendance, and that a package was removed from the property. Some reports suggest it might be an old hand grenade, but that has not been confirmed.

Neighbouring residents were evacuated from their homes as a precaution and were taken to the nearby school as a place of safety.

Members of the public were asked to avoid the area.