A 73-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of administering an unknown noxious substance after a hazmat incident in Bath saw shoppers fall unwell.
A major operation was launched yesterday following reports a woman had approached members of the public with a plastic bag, causing them to feel unwell.
Emergency services rushed to the scene on Stall Street, near the Roman Baths, and a cordon was put in place as a precaution at around 3pm.
Officers wearing hazmat suits could be seen hosing down people on the street, as one woman was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties and itchy eyes.
She was checked over and was discharged later that evening.
Avon and Somerset Police said the cordon was lifted five hours later, shortly before 8pm, after the area had been checked.
No trace of any chemical or hazardous substance was found.
A 73-year-old has since been arrested on suspicion of administering an unknown noxious substance.
A huge police operation got underway in Bath yesterday after a woman approached members of the public with a bag, which started making people ‘feel unwell’
Officers wearing hazmat suits while attending the incident in Bath yesterday
Officers in hazmat suits attending the incident in Bath, Somerset, yesterday
Footage which circulated online showed officers in protective clothing tending to members of the public in a cordon which was set up next to Bath Abbey.
Police locked down the area on the main High Street which is usually packed with tourists in the summer.
South Western Ambulance Service initially informed police they had taken two people to hospital, but ultimately only one woman needed to be taken.
CCTV enquiries were carried out to identify the individual who was in possession of the plastic bag at the time of the incident.
Chief Inspector Scott Hill, of the Bath Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: ‘We’d like to thank the public for their patience and understanding while we dealt with an incident in Bath yesterday.
‘Public safety is always our top priority and we implemented well-rehearsed plans to ensure this isolated incident was dealt with as swiftly and effectively as possible.
‘All emergency services have a duty of care to their staff and so a decision was made to wear protective clothing while there was uncertainty about what we were dealing with.
Police guard a cordon on the main High Street in Bath as shoppers watch on
Emergency crews in hazmat suits deal with the incident in Bath’s city centre
Witnesses told MailOnline that they saw members of the public being hosed down in the tents
Witnesses said those who were having coffees at a nearby cafe were told that they couldn’t leave
‘Further enquiries will be required to fully understand what caused some people to experience feeling unwell, but to help us progress that work we have made an arrest as we seek to establish whether any offence has been committed.
‘We can confirm thorough testing of the surrounding public area was carried out before the cordon was lifted which confirmed there were no traces of any chemical substance.
‘We are aware there was speculation on social media yesterday about this and hope confirming this provides reassurance to the public. We are not aware of there being any increased risk to the public but officers will be on patrol in the city centre today if anyone wishes to speak with us directly to raise any concerns they may have.’
One witness said they saw members of the public being treated at the scene yesterday.
They said: ‘They took one woman off into some blue tarpaulin sheets and seemed to have hosed her down.
‘She must have been told to remove her clothes, as she came out wearing a big orange suit covering her body.
‘Then she was walked to the ambulance escorted by what I think was a paramedic wearing a full hazmat suit with breathing apparatus.’
Emergency services, including police, fire and ambulances on the scene in Bath city centre
A huge section of the city centre was cordoned off. It is usually packed with shoppers and tourists
Several emergency crews rushed to the scene and the city centre was cordoned off
Robert Clench, who lives in the city centre, told MailOnline he was ‘stunned’ as he walked past and saw several emergency crews descending on the scene.
The 24-year-old added: ‘A very large area outside the Roman Baths was all cordoned off. I saw people in hazmat suits, fire, police and ambulances. Some people were stuck in a coffee shop within the restricted area and were not allowed to leave.
‘A large sheet of tarpaulin was covering people involved in the incident.’
Dakota Nicholls said he was leaving work when he saw the scene. ‘It was quite frightening because it was so close to work,’ he said.
‘I saw people in hazmat’s suits, loads of ambulances, police cars. I’ve never seen anything like that before. It was out of the ordinary.’
The incident happened just a stone’s throw away from Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths and the Pump Rooms
A police officer wearing a mask pictured at the scene after a woman approached people with a bag
A spokesperson for Avon Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘On Monday 29 July at 3:45pm, Avon and Somerset Police requested our assistance at an incident on Stall Street, Bath in which a small number of people reported feeling unwell.
‘Firefighters from Bath and Patchway assisted police by carrying out testing for chemical or hazardous substances at the scene. No trace of any chemical or hazardous substance was found.’
