Police evacuated a pizza chain takeaway in Preston after reports of a suspicious device on Boxing Day.
Deepdale Road was closed in both directions for three hours while Preston Police investigated a ‘suspicious device’.
The device was understood to be in a bin outside the Dominos.
Police have been on the scene since shortly before 10pm on Boxing Day. An explosives team were called out.
Dominos is located between St Stephen’s Road and St George’s Road.
The cordon remained in force as the bomb squad investigated the device. Those within the cordoned-off area have described the device as being ‘some kind of case’ and making a ‘bleeping sound’.
A remote-controlled device was used by the bomb squad in the area outside the Dominos store.
Shortly after midnight on Sunday 27 December the cordon was extended down as far as Wren Street.
Just before 1am on Sunday there was a loud bang heard in Deepdale, as the robot device is understood to have carried out a controlled explosion on the device. However, it was revealed the sound was the bin door being torn off by the robot.
Ann Edmondson, who lives just behind Dominos, said: “Massive bang in Deepdale. There’s a smell of fireworks in the air.”
Another reader, who asked not to be named, said the police had told her it was a smoke alarm. The button had become depressed by other objects in the bin forcing a bleeping sound.
All road closures were lifted by 1.30am on Sunday.
A spokesman for Preston Police said: “Bomb disposal attended and gained entry to the bin using a mechanical robot and found the item to be a discarded smoke alarm.
“Insp Sturgess from Preston Police would like to thank the residents of Preston for their patience during this incident and is grateful for the continued vigilance of members of the public in alerting the emergency services to suspicious items.”
The suspicious item has been successfully disrupted and found to have been an innocent item. Thanks to you all for your patience.
— LancsPolice (@LancsPolice) December 27, 2015
The incident is the second suspicious device in the last week and a half in Preston, after a device ‘went off’ in the toilet of the Fishergate Shopping Centre on Thursday 17 December.