Police give details over "emergency incident" at Gunwharf ferry port that caused lockdown
Police have given details over an “emergency incident” that led to the Gunwharf ferry port being closed down.
A large police presence attended Gunwharf Road to deal with the incident as ferry crossings were suspended and the port closed down amid mass evacuations. Wightlink said the ferry port was closed after a “suspicious package” was found before it was deemed safe and the area reopened.
Police have now given further details on the incident, with a statement saying: “We were called at approximately 11.35am today (Wednesday 17 December) to a report of a discovery of an unattended bag at the Wightlink ferry terminal on Gunwharf Road, Portsmouth.
“Officers attended and evacuated the immediate area as a precaution, to ensure the safety of the public while we worked to establish the full circumstances.
“The bag in question has been examined, deemed safe and removed by officers. The area concerned has now been fully reopened. We thank the public for their patience and understanding while we dealt with this incident.”
A Wightlink spokesperson previously said: “It was a suspicious package. The police are happy that there is no threat so we are back to normal now.
“Our Gunwharf terminal has now reopened following the completion of police checks. We are working hard to minimise any further disruption to our services. The safety of our customers and colleagues is always our top priority, and we thank the police and other emergency services for their assistance.”