Leyland 'major incident': Man arrested under Explosives Act with bomb squad on scene and buildings evacuated

A large number of officers, including armed response units, descended on the area around Broadfield Drive and West Paddock at around 9am.

Police have placed a cordon around the area and evacuated a number of buildings, including the Civic Centre council offices, St Mary's Community Centre and Job Centre. A bomb disposal unit is also on site.

Lancashire Police said in a statement: “You may have noticed a police presence in the area close to Broadfield Drive in Leyland so we wanted to let you know what is going on.

“We executed a warrant at an address on Nursery Close in Leyland at around 6am this morning (Thursday, June 22nd) and at the address we found a number of suspicious items.

“A 59-year-old man from Leyland was arrested at the scene under the Explosives Act, and he remains in custody.

“Emergency services remain at the scene and a number of properties have been evacuated.”