Police stumble across weapons and 'hand grenade' stash near Surbiton train station (From Surrey Comet)

Police stumble across weapons and 'hand grenade' stash near Surbiton train station

12:00pm Monday 5th January 2009

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Police evacuated a block of flats on New Year's day after stumbling on a stash of weapons and an imitation hand grenade and a stash of cannabis inside a Surbiton flat.

Neighbours were told a suspect package of explosives had been discovered and were preparing to evacuate as The Crescent, near Surbiton railway station, was closed off.

Around 80 police officers and firemen with emergency vehicles filled the street at 1pm.

Three hours later police left the road, leaving residents to assume it had been a false alarm bomb threat.

Police confirmed today that they had found drugs and weapons in a house in the road, while looking for a missing person, who was not in the property.

Allan Lochhead, who was at his girlfriend's flat waiting for the gas man, said: "The police said they had found a suspected package of explosives in the park.

"We were told to prepare to leave as it was likely that the whole street would have to be evacuated.

"At about 4pm the police cars, vans, fire engines and ambulances left as quickly as they had arrived.

"It all seemed rather unreal. This is sleepy Surbiton."

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "I had gone for a walk, came back and wasn't able to get back in. I ended up climbing over the back wall.

"I heard that they had found a grenade in one of the flats and they had evacuated the flats.

"I come from South Africa so I wasn't really worried."

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