A “suspicious package” found at a university campus was not linked to other items found in Glasgow and London, police have said.

A 100m cordon was put in place at the University of Essex’s main square in Colchester after police were called to the bomb scare at 11.50am on Wednesday, March 6.

A police helicopter and bomb disposal team from the Royal Logistic Corps were called, although police later confirmed the package was not deemed to pose a threat to the public.

The incident came at the same time other suspicious packages were found at university campuses in London and Glasgow, with officers from the Metropolitan Police and Police Scotland also “working closely together” over further packages sent to Heathrow, London City airport and Waterloo railway station.

However a spokesman for Essex Police said of the Colchester device: “The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the packages in London posed a viable threat to the public, while yesterday’s was confirmed not to.

“We can’t imagine there to be any link.”

All timetabled classes for the remainder of the day were cancelled as students were asked to vacate the area and return to the safety of their homes.

University accomodation was situated outside of the cordon, although students who did not live in the area were offered facilities at six buildings across the campus.

The university reopened as normal the following day.