Met officers believe device found in Newton Abbot is linked to item found at North Greenwich underground on Thursday

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A suspicious device discovered by counter-terror police at an address in Devon on Saturday has been declared not viable.

Metropolitan police officers investigating a package found at a tube station in London two days earlier had been at a property in Tudor Road, Newton Abbot, when they discovered an item they deemed suspicious.



People were moved out of the area but a 200-metre cordon has now been lifted, the Met said.

In a statement, they added: “Work has been carried out and it has now been confirmed the device is not viable. Work continues with Devon and Cornwall Police at the scene.”

During the evacuation, three pitches at Baker’s Park in the town were cleared.

Phil Smith, 62, who was refereeing a football match, said: “We were eight minutes into the match when suddenly a policeman appeared on the touchline and said, ‘Sorry, you are going to have to stop playing and get out of the park – we want to land some helicopters on the football pitch.’



“He said there was an incident but couldn’t say anything about it. He proceeded to hustle us all off and then he went to the children’s play park and hustled all them out and was trying to get the car park clear as well.”

Saturday’s discovery followed a security scare at North Greenwich station close to the O2 complex in south-east London on Thursday. A controlled detonation was carried out on the item, which was reported to have been handed to a tube driver and possibly contained wires and a clock.



A 19-year-old man who was Tasered and arrested on Friday afternoon on Holloway Road in north London remains in custody.

The Guardian understands the item found on the tube is believed to have been a homemade device, possibly constructed with the intention of exploding. It was unsophisticated and the suspect has been detained under terrorism legislation covering the “commission, preparation and instigation” of a violent act.



It is not believed by police to have been a hoax, and the leaving of the device on a train is being treated as a deliberate act.

Counter-terrorism investigators believe whoever was behind the incident at North Greenwich station was acting alone, a so-called “lone wolf”, if they establish it was terrorism.

However, they have not yet done so, and an initial check of mental health records linked to the sole suspect has led to further inquiries into material held by the health service.

The part of the investigation covering the health history of the suspect is complicating the part of the inquiry trying to establish the motive.

The arrest in broad daylight is unusual in a counter-terrorism investigation.

Commuters were told to expect to see more officers, including armed police, in and around transport hubs while patrols by British Transport Police officers on the underground and at stations are in place.



The current threat level for international terrorism in the UK is severe, meaning an attack is “highly likely”.