A MAN arrested during an investigation into suspicious chemicals has been released pending further inquiries.

Police were called to Heaton Park View, Heaton, Newcastle, at 8.30am on Thursday and a 42-year-old man was arrested.

A small cordon put in place to allow specialist officers to carry out a full search of the property and assess the materials.

Police are now confident that the chemicals pose no risk to the wider community.

The man has now been placed in temporary accommodation by Newcastle City Council.

Chief Superintendent Neil Hutchison said: “We have carried out a full assessment and are very confident that the chemicals recovered pose no risk to the wider public.

“Local residents may have been concerned about the level of police activity but when we are dealing with unidentified materials we have to take all the precautions necessary to ensure safety of our officers and the wider public.

“There is an ongoing investigation to determine if any criminal offences have been committed.”