AN Army bomb disposal team was called to a housing estate to make safe a suspicious package found this morning.
Dyfed-Powys Police sealed off two streets in the Gurnos, Lower Cwmtwrch near Ystradgynlais, after the package was found on a car in the car park of the Cwrt Gorof flats on Spencer Terrace at about 9am.
Some residents were evacuated from their homes following the discovery while others said they had been told by police to stay inside.
The force said the item, described as a small box, was discovered at Spencer Terrace and Heol Abraham was also closed.
The police cordon was lifted at around 3.30 this afternoon after a Royal Logistic Corps bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion. Police said the device was found to be harmless.
Police had earlier asked people to stay away from the area. It is unclear if the package had been placed on the car as a Halloween stunt or for a more sinister reason.
A man who lives nearby, but didn’t want to be named, said he had seen the package.
He said: "It was like a food tray, or tin, it had batteries and wires. All of a sudden the whole area was closed off."
One woman who lives close to the flats but asked not to be named said: "The police knocked our door at about 1.45pm and said can we evacuate please. I know there was a suspect package as they had told us that and a friend had told me.
"I took my dogs for a walk and called in my friend’s house and then saw the road was open again.
"I didn’t think it was a real bomb, it was Halloween last night. I don’t think anybody was worried to be honest but the police have got procedures to follow."
A couple from Spencer Terrace, and their young daughter, said they were also evacuated.
The woman, who didn’t want to give her name, said: "The police knocked our door and told us we had to evacuate, that was the first we knew about it.
"My dad lives a few streets over so we went there."
Her partner, who also didn’t give his name, said: "It was about 12 o clock because I had just come back from a run. I asked them what it was and they said they had found a suspicious package."
Others living on the street said police had been at Spencer Terrace from around 8.30am.
Cllr Sandra Davies, the Powys county councillor for Cwmtwrch, said there had been lots of police activity in the area recently and the town was awash with rumours.
"We’ve had the police here every night for the last three or four days. On Sunday at about 8pm there were helicopters with search beams sweeping over the houses and the same again a bit later on Monday. I’ve heard all sorts of rumours so I asked the police what was going on at a residents’ meeting we had with them on Tuesday, but they sort of brushed me off and said they were looking for a drunk driver. Then today we’ve had the police cordoning off Spencer Terrace and we’re told there might be a bomb. I will certainly be asking at our next meeting with the police just what exactly has been going on."
The force on Thursday afternoon confirmed it was dealing with a suspicious package and called in the assitance of the Army bomb disposal team. It said streets had been closed as a precuation.A Dyfed-Powys Police statement said: “Dyfed-Powys Police is investigating a hoax after a suspicious item was left on a car in Lower Cwmtwrch, Ystradgynlais."The item, described as a small but heavy plastic box, was found at Spencer Terrace at around 9am on Thursday (November 1)."As a precaution, officers closed the street, and Heol Abraham, and evacuated nearby houses and a building site."The item was found not to be dangerous and Ordnance Disposal carried out a small, controlled explosion as a safety measure at around 2.30pm."Officers are appealing for anyone with information that could help their investigation to contact them by calling 101. If you are Deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908. Quote reference: DPP/0041/01/11/2018/01/C.”