Police evacuated more than 160 families in the UK seaside town of Eastbourne after a bottle of unidentified liquid was found in a house. Bomb squad officers were scrambled to Hyde Road, Eastbourne, at 5.27pm on Monday (23 June) following reports of a mystery liquid.

Detective Superintendent Jon Robeson said: “Our priority is to keep people safe. We are satisfied that there is no immediate risk to residents and an evacuation of nearby homes can be completed safely and effectively during daylight hours to minimise impact on the local residents. “We will have a number of uniformed officers present on Tuesday morning to assist with the planned evacuation and offer further advice.

“We would encourage residents of Hyde Road, Camden Road, Calverley Road, West Terrace, Bath Road and Grove Road to leave their addresses by 9am.

“We appreciate the support of residents and the wider community who will be affected by the necessary precautionary actions we need to take, and hopefully they will be able to swiftly return to their homes.

“I would like to thank them for their patience and understanding while we bring this incident to a safe conclusion.

“The item is secure and the road closed, and a number of police will be present to provide reassurance as we work with emergency services and other partner agencies to minimise disruption.

“Public safety is our priority, and the cordon will take in around 160 homes. We will allow residents to return to their homes as soon as it is safe for them to do so.”