Police lift cordon in Bournmoor, near Chester-le-Street (From The Northern Echo)

Police lift cordon in Bournmoor, near Chester-le-Street

12:22am Saturday 31st July 2010 in

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Suspicious items found in a flat in the village of Bournmoor, near Chester-le-Street, were last night judged harmless by Army bomb disposal experts.

Residents living close to the housing association flat in Moor Court who were earlier moved out as a precaution were allowed back late last night.

A spokeswoman for Durham Police said: "The items recovered from Moor Court have now been assessed by military experts who have concluded that they were inert items and of no risk to the public.

"The premises have been secured, the cordon has been lifted and officers are standing down."

Ambulance and fire crews had been standing by while the items were checked by the bomb squad.

Assistant Chief Constable Michael Banks said: "Our actions were in the best interests of public safety and every effort was made to keep disruption to a minimum.

"As soon as it became clear that no offence had been commmitted and there was no danger to the public, we were able to return to normality.

"I would lile to thank the residents of Bournmoor for their patience and theiir support."