A SERIOUS incident was declared after a woman claimed she had come into contact with Novichok in Belfast.
Emergency services were called to reports of a woman saying she had come into contact with the Russian nerve agent on Wednesday morning.
Firefighters could be seen sealing off part of Harper Street in Belfast shortly after 10.15am, with local residents evacuated as a result.
Emergency workers were seen wearing face masks as they inspected the property, with a number of ambulances and fire appliances sent to the scene.
However, the Belfast Telegraph reports that no Novichok was found at the property despite the woman's initial claims.
First responders were reportedly told that the woman had taken the nerve agent.
Operations have now been scaled back after there was no evidence of Novichok at the scene.
A PSNI spokesman said: “We are aware of online speculation in relation to the nature of this incident, at this time, there is not believed to be a wider threat to the public.”
Novichok, which translates to "newcomer" in Russian, refers to a group of nerve agents developed by the former Soviet Union in the 1970s and 80s.
The nerve agent is made up of highly toxic chemicals which prevent the nervous system from working properly.
Novichok was used in the 2018 Salisbury poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, both of whom are believed to have made a full recovery.
Mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess died in Salisbury after spraying herself with a fatal dose of Novichok left in a discarded perfume bottle.
Russian president Vladimir Putin was found to be "morally responsible" for her death following an inquiry.
