Emergency operation in St Leonards nears conclusion as residents can return

The A259 in St Leonards has reopened and remaining displaced residents can return to their homes following the major incident this weekend.

A cordon was set up around a property in the A259 Marina after more than 500 canisters of chemicals were found inside on Thursday (20 March).

Most of the substances have now been desensitised and disposed of safely, including an additional 30 vessels of unidentified substances which were subject to tests today (23 March).

The remaining chemicals have been made safe and will stored at the scene pending the arrival of suitable transportation tomorrow. The scene will remain under police guard overnight.

The road has now reopened to pedestrians and traffic, with traffic lights in place that may lead to some congestion.

The remaining nine displaced residents have also been informed they can return to their homes.

The emergency presence will reduce into the evening, although a police presence will remain over the coming days to carry out additional investigation inside the property and to provide visible reassurance to the public.

A 28-year-old man arrested in the property has been detained under the Mental Health Act.

Detective Superintendent Steve May said: “This has been a challenging few days for all involved, particularly those residents evacuated from their homes, and I would like to thank the public for their patience and support during this operation.

“We are doing all we can, with our partners, to bring this incident to a safe resolution and return the area to normality. I am confident the end is now well within sight.

“We are aware of speculation among the public around the full circumstances of this incident, and I would like to reiterate that, at this time, there is nothing to suggest any sinister motivation from the individual who has been detained, nor any ongoing risk to the public.

“There is currently no evidence to suggest any links to terror, extremist ideology or large-scale drug production.

“There is a live police investigation ongoing that limits the details we can release at this time, but more information will be provided as soon as we are able.”