Worthing bomb squad incidents 'not terror-related', police confirm as investigation continues

An Explosive Ordinance Disposal team were called to Tarring Road multiple times over the space of a week, after the discoveries of a ‘suspicious’ package and substance.

Sussex Police provided an update on its investigation on Friday, July 1 – nearly three weeks after the latest search was carried out on the road.

The statement read: “A 52-year-old man from Worthing who was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm has been released under investigation while enquiries continue.“The investigation, which included searches of an address in Tarring Road, is not terror-related.”

Police first attended an address at around 9am on Wednesday, June 9, following reports of the discovery of a ‘suspicious package’.

The same day, the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team was called and safely destroyed the package. Click here to see video footage from the scene.

A 52-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and had been released on conditional bail. The area around Tarring Road was closed as a precautionary measure, but reopened at 10.10pm.

The following day (Thursday, June 10), the bomb squad were called to the same property again. New photographs showed a bomb disposal vehicle back in Worthing that evening, with a police van and robot.

This followed reports of a suspicious substance but an assessment found it to be safe.

Despite this, and as part of the ongoing investigation, an additional search was conducted at the property on the evening of Friday, June 10.

Officers thanked residents for their patience during this incident, warning them to expect an increased police presence while enquiries continued.