St James's Hospital Leeds: Everything we know so far about bomb scare in Harehills

Army specialists and a bomb disposal unit attended the scene as cordons were put in place to keep members of the public away. Below is everything we know so far about the incident, including what police and the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have said.

What happened?

Emergency services were called to deal with a suspicious package incident outside the Gledhow wing at St James’s Hospital. Army specialists and a bomb disposal unit attended the scene and the wards in the Gledhow wing were evacuated. Cordons were put in place to ensure the safety of the public. Has anyone been arrested?

A 27-year-old man was initially arrested on suspicion of firearms and explosives offences, but police later confirmed he had been re-arrested under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

What have police said?

Detective Chief Superintendent Jim Dunkerley, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “This is being treated as an isolated incident and there is no evidence to suggest there is any heightened or ongoing risk to the public.

“Nevertheless, the UK threat level remains at Substantial and we would always encourage the public to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activity or behaviour to police in confidence on 0800 789 321 or at gov.uk/ACT.”

Superintendent Dan Wood of Leeds District said: “This incident was brought to a safe conclusion by the work of the emergency services, and a man has been arrested in connection with it and remains in custody. We are continuing to liaise with our counter terrorism colleagues as they progress their investigation.“We recognise that an incident of this nature will cause understandable public concern and we are linking with our partner agencies and key community representatives to reassure them and keep them informed.”

Police have also said extensive inquiries are underway to establish the full circumstances of the incident and any potential motivation behind it.

What has Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said?

Speaking yesterday, the medical director of operations at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Mr Steve Bush, said: “The critical incident at St James’s Hospital has been stood down. Police and specialist services remain on site as the investigation is ongoing. We'd like to thank our patients and the public for their patience and understanding during this matter. We want to wholeheartedly thank our staff and the Emergency Services for their dedication and commitment to ensure we have been able to keep everyone safe.

"Patients who were evacuated are being moved back to their wards. It may be some time before we are back to business as usual in these areas, so please bear with us. Our patient helpline has been stood down and visiting has resumed as normal across Gledhow wing and Lincoln wing. Unfortunately some patient appointments were cancelled as a result of today's incident and we would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused - these will be rearranged as soon as possible.”