A man has been arrested at Heathrow four days after reports he had a grenade in the boot of his car.
The 27-year-old was detained in west London on Thursday and taken to a police station for questioning.
Initially, Merseyside Police went to Strand Road in Bootle when it was reported a grenade had been discovered in the boot of a Ford Fiesta at around 1.10pm on Monday.
A cordon was put in place after the incident which could have “ended in devastation”, a force spokesman said.
Several homes and businesses were evacuated as a precaution.
The Army’s explosive ordnance disposal unit attended the scene and the item was detonated at a safe location. The car has been forensically seized.
Detective Chief Inspector Phil Atkinson said: “Our investigation continues with this arrest and I’d continue to appeal to anyone with information to come forward at the earliest opportunity.
The Army Bomb Disposal have just arrived at the scene on Strand Road in Bootle.
— Megan Banner (@MeganJBanner) November 4, 2024
A huge cordon remains in place this afternoon as emergency services respond to reports of a “suspected grenade” found in the boot of a car. pic.twitter.com/PnIwhZBODZ
“This incident could have ended in devastation and understandably caused alarm in the community. Tell us what you know and we will do the rest.”
The man was held suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said at the time: “Crews were alerted at 1.36pm and on scene at 1.45pm.”
Anyone with information on the storage or possession of weapons is urged to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
