THE SNP MP John Nicolson has revealed the suspect package sent to his constituency office yesterday contained crystals "intended to alarm".

He disclosed the information after one newspaper report incorrectly said a biscuit had been found in the package.

In an update on the incident police said today that while the contents were not harmful they were treating the incident as malicious and that inquiries were continuing.

Nicolson, a former television journalist who was elected the MP for East Dunbartonshire in May 2015, said police told him what was in the package this morning.

"The police and fire brigade came quickly. There are established procedures laid down by Westminster for dealing with suspicious packages," he said thanking officers for their response.

"The emergency services dealt with this speedily and efficiently and I much appreciate the work that they did.

"They removed the package, identified its contents and subsequently told us that the package contained crystals which were intended to alarm. I'm relieved that my staff were safe."

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "Around 12.20pm on April 25 police and emergency services responded to a report of a suspicious package being delivered to the constituency office of John Nicolson MP at Townhead, Kirkintilloch.

"The package has been assessed and the contents were not found to be harmful. Officers are treating the incident as malicious and inquires are ongoing."

Police sealed off Townhead, the main thoroughfare in Kirkintilloch, with the street closed for a period as a precaution by police officers.

Residents in the tenement building above the office were temporarily evacuated and the road shut to traffic and pedestrians.