'White man wearing burka' arrested after 'bomb' found in town centre
A TOWN centre was evacuated so a bomb disposal team could detonate a suspicious package left by "a white man in a burka".
Police arrested a man, said to be wearing a burka
Watford in Hertsfordshire, was on lockdown after the item was found in Market Street this morning.
Army bomb disposal experts scrambled to the town at hour later to perform a controlled explosion an hour later in the busy area, full of homes and businesses.
After a full search of residential and business areas of the town, police arrested a man this afternoon with witnesses describing him as a "white man in a burka".
Pictures showing a person dressed in black, apart from a gap in the eye area, being taken away by police have since emerged.
Officers were looking for a dog walker seen near the area to help them with enquiries, who is not in trouble, and Hertfordshire Police announced at 4.30pm they have been in contact with the woman.
Watford was closed down all day
The device, found in Market Street, was safely destroyed following a controlled explosion by bomb disposal experts based with the army
A statement from Herts Police said: "The device, found in Market Street, was safely destroyed following a controlled explosion by bomb disposal experts based with the army.
"Public safety is at the forefront of the police operation and we would ask people to avoid the centre of Watford until further notice."
Experts remain at the scene making further assessments and follow up enquiries.
Large areas of the busy town centre remain closed off and police have thanked the public for their "continued patience at this time".