Man arrested outside Leeds St James's Hospital with suspicious device and suspected firearm

January 20, 2023

A man has been arrested after he was found with a suspicious device and a suspected firearm outside a Leeds hospital, leading to a partial evacuation.

People were asked to avoid the entrance to the Gledhow Wing of St James's Hospital, which houses most of its maternity services, after the 27-year-old was detained at about 5am.

The man, also from Leeds, has been arrested on suspicion of firearms and explosives offences, said counter-terror police.

They said there's not believed to be any ongoing risk and it is currently thought to be an isolated incident.

"A vehicle and a number of premises" were being searched and counter-terror police are now leading the investigation.

A cordon remains in place as a precaution while specialist teams work at the scene, located about a mile from the city centre.

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The A&E department remains open and people were told to still attend outpatient appointments.

A patient on the respiratory ward told the Yorkshire Post that they had been moved out of their rooms into corridors and staff rooms.

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed that police had evacuated numerous wards on Friday morning and that a cordon would remain in place.

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