Bath "chemical incident": 73-year-old arrested after shoppers fell ill after being approached by woman with a bag

A 73-year-old woman has been arrested after police responded to reports of a "chemical incident" in a city centre. A street in Bath was cordoned off after a woman was said to have approached people with a bag and a woman was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties.

Officers in hazmat suits were called to Stall Street following reports of people falling unexplainably ill. Witnesses reported members of the public being stripped of all clothing, placed in hazmat suits and into the back of ambulances.

Avon and Somerset Police said a 73-year-old suspect was subsequently arrested on suspicion of administering an unknown noxious substance. Chief Inspector Scott Hill said: "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."

Paramedics were called at approximately 2.30pm on Monday to Stall Street. They were told a woman in possession of a plastic bag had approached members of the public, who then felt ill. The ambulance crews then called police who set up a cordon just after 3pm.

One woman was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties and itchy eyes. She was checked over and discharged later in the evening, police said. The force said the scene was lifted shortly before 8pm after the area had been checked. No trace of any chemical or hazardous substance was found.

Police said inquiries were ongoing to fully understand what caused some people to feel unwell and the arrest was made to establish if an offence has been committed.

Chief Insp Hill added: "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.“

Residents living close to the scene said they were left shaken by the incident. Staff at the hot sausage company stall were told to drop everything and evacuate immediately. 

Christian Watson, 46, the stall’s owner, returned when the cordon was lifted to clean down the equipment. He said: “They had to leave pretty quickly. There were sausages left but they are a bit cold and wrinkled now.”

A police cordon was put up spanning Cheap Street, Stall Street, Bath Street and Abbey Churchyard. Workers with a high pressure hose were later seen washing the undercover area by The Pump Room.

Sandra Marten, 70, who lives in an apartment overlooking the scene, said: “It is frightening and absolutely terrible. The world is turning into a war zone. Nobody wants to go outside. I am thinking I need to get cameras. People do these things and run. It feels like a repeat of what happened in Salisbury years ago.”

Another resident David Fielder, 52, said: “It is very worrying. But I don’t agree with over-policing. I try not to be afraid of unstoppable things.”