20 year old arrested following Police incident at student accommodation block in Portsmouth

Police attended a building in Stanhope Road, Portsmouth today (Thursday 19 April), having received a report of a suspicious object at 4.18pm this afternoon. Emergency services attended the scene and a cordon was set up around the building – a student accommodation block. An Explosive Ordnance Team was called in, as is routine in these situations. A controlled explosion on the object was carried out in Victoria Park. As a precaution, the building was evacuated. The students have now been allowed back in and the cordon around the building has now been lifted. All students are safe. The incident was co-ordinated with support from Hampshire Police, South Central Ambulance Service, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Portsmouth City Council, the University of Portsmouth and The Student Housing Company. No-one has been injured in this incident and there is not believed to be any wider or ongoing threat to the public. Initial enquiries are now underway and a 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection with this incident. He is currently in police custody. The immediate issue has now been resolved