More than 200 homes have been evacuated and a major incident declared in Derby as police arrested two men on suspicion of explosives offences.
An evacuation zone was put in place as officers carried out a warrant at an address in Vulcan Street after receiving intelligence about materials, Derbyshire police said.
Two men, one in his 40s and the other in his 50s, are in police custody and the incident is not being investigated as terrorism.
Officers warned that people in the area around Vulcan Street at 3.20pm may hear a bang shortly as a result of controlled works being carried out by the army’s explosive ordnance division, which is also responding to the incident.
Derbyshire police said there was no wider risk to the community and the evacuations were a precaution to ensure the safety of residents.
Anyone who lives within the affected area was urged be ready to be out of their home for 24 hours and to make appropriate preparations if pets needed to be moved, or if they required medication.
A cordon is in place affecting several roads. Police said officers would knock on the doors of all properties within the cordon and have asked residents who are already away from home to contact them.
A rest centre for affected people is being run by Derby city council at the Salvation Army. Police said they were working with local fire and ambulance services as well as the council.
