Newcastle 'grenade' sparks mass evacuation as police issue major update

Police have issued a major update after families were forced to evacuate their homes when a suspected 'grenade' was found.

The residential street on 's Great Park estate was sealed off on Friday afternoon as swarmed the area, with families asked to quickly evacuate their after a device, a suspected grenade, was found at a neighbouring property. Those affected were told to go to the racecourse or a nearbysupermarket while police awaited the arrival of a specialist team. One resident described the experience as "nerve-wracking", and said they had been waiting for hours to find out when they could go back home.

They told the : "I believe that a couple of lads found a grenade, and they have evacuated the community centre, and some people from their homes.

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"They have been told to go to the racecourse or , as police are waiting for a specialist team. It has been nerve-wracking, as we've known about it for a couple of hours but things seem to have just fired up."

In an update from just after 10.30pm on Friday, it was confirmed that the grenade was actually a replica - and posed no danger to the public.

Following confirmation by a bomb squad, the cordon was lifted and families were able to return to their homes.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "At 12.20pm (Friday), we received a report of a suspected unexploded device at an address on Swinhoe Road in the Great Park area of Newcastle.

"Emergency services attended and a number of properties in the area were evacuated as a precaution. A cordon was put in place and an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) attended the scene to ensure the safety of the public.

"The item was confirmed to be a replica grenade - and not viable as an explosive. After ensuring the area was safe, EOD and Northumbria Police were stood down and the cordon removed at 10.30pm.

"The area has fully re-opened to residents who are now beginning to return to their properties. We'd like to offer our thanks to those affected today for their patience. The safety of the public is always our priority."