A man has been arrested in connection with an incident in Sudbury on Wednesday when a suspect package was discovered.
Officers were called around 1.10pm after the suspicious package was found in a rucksack at Barclays Bank on Market Hill.
A 41-year-old man from Sudbury was arrested today on suspicion of placing an article with intent and communication of false information.
He has been taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning.
The incident caused the evacuation of Sudbury town centre and a police cordon was in place for four hours.
A bomb disposal team from Colchester were called to the scene and the object was found to be safe following an examination.
Police said on Wednesday that the object would be transferred to a forensic laboratory for further testing.
Sudbury came to a near standstill during the incident with shops and businesses evacuated from Market Hill and many roads in the area, including Station Road, Friars Street and Gainsborough Street, closed to traffic.
Waldingfield Road was also closed during the afternoon to stop traffic entering the town centre.
The town’s deputy mayor, Sue Ayres, praised the response of the emergency services to the incident.
She said: “I think as it was unknown, they had to respond in the way that they did because if they hadn’t they would have been in the wrong.
“Procedures are in place for this sort of thing and they have to be followed. It was a shame that the town was gridlocked, a bit like it was when we had the fire [in 2015], but it was necessary.
“People always say they never seem a police officer around but they are always there when you need them.
“Some businesses will be annoyed that they had to shut up shop, but in the current climate you can’t say this type of thing won’t happen in Sudbury.”
Superintendent Kerry Cutler said on Wednesday: “Steps to evacuate the area were taken in the interests of public safety and we thank everyone for their patience and understanding during the afternoon.”
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