Crime

Newton Abbot: Counter-terror officers find 'second suspicious item' in Devon after North Greenwich Tube 'bomb' plot | London Evening Standard

Counter-terror officers investigating an alleged bomb threat on a Jubilee line Tube train today found a second suspicious device at a house in Devon.

Newton Abbot: Counter-terror officers find 'second suspicious item' in Devon after North Greenwich Tube 'bomb' plot | London Evening Standard

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Newton Abbot: Counter-terror officers find 'second suspicious item' in Devon after North Greenwich Tube 'bomb' plotSuspicious device: The find comes after a man was arrested yesterday following an alleged bomb plotBBC

Counter-terror officers investigating an alleged bomb threat on a Jubilee line Tube train today found a second suspicious device at a house in Devon.

Police evacuated the area around Tudor Road in Newton Abbot and set up a 200m cordon around the property after the find.

A spokesman for the Met said counter-terror officers were dealing with the item alongside Devon and Cornwall Police.

However, at 6.15pm local police said the item was "not viable" and they would be lifting the cordon.

Further forensic tests are now being carried out on the property while police guard the scene.

Phil Smith, 62, was refereeing a football match at Baker's Park in Newton Abbot when police cleared the pitch.

He said: "I was the referee and we were eight minutes into the match when suddenly a policeman appeared on the touchline and said 'Sorry, you are going to have to stop playing and get out of the park - we want to land some helicopters on the football pitch'.

"He said there was an incident but couldn't say anything about it.

"He proceeded to hustle us all off and then he went to the children's play park and hustled all them out and was trying to get the car park clear as well."

Today's find comes after a 19-year-old man was arrested yesterday following a dramatic swoop by police in Holloway Road.

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Witnesses described how the teen was chased down the street by armed police before being Tasered and tackled to the ground.

He remains in custody on suspicion of terror offences.

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The arrest was made after a suspicious item was found on board a packed Tube train at North Greenwich station on Thursday.

It led the area being put on lockdown for around eight hours

The item was eventually detonated by the bomb squad in a controlled explosion.

One person who watched the man being arressted yesterday told the Standard: "They got him on the floor straight away but he was struggling for five minutes as they tried to arrest him. It was very uncomfortable to watch.

"It was terrible to see as the university is so close and there were lots of young people around."

Cordoned off: The scene inside North Greenwich stationDaniel O'Mahony

He added: "The guy was white with long shoulder-length hair and a beard.

"He was wearing a long coat and blue jeans, it didn't look like he had shaved in a while.

"They had him on the floor for almost 15 minutes before they threw him in the back of a custody van."