St Stephen's Shopping Centre: Police issue major update amid bomb scare at Hull shopping mall

St Stephen’s Shopping Centre, located on Ferensway, was cordoned off from shoppers and members of the public at around 6.20pm on Tuesday, February 18. An explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit was dispatched to the scene amid concern over the nature of the suspicious package.

In an update issued later that evening, Humberside Police confirmed that the 200-metre safety cordon had been lifted around the shopping centre following examinations. The force said that no safety issues or concerns had been identified by the EOD team in their examination.

Senior Investigating Officer Superintendent Phil Booker said: “Whilst incidents of this nature remain rare in our area, I appreciate it will have understandably caused fear and alarm amongst the local community, and we would like to thank everyone for their patience whilst the incident was dealt with.

“I can confirm that whilst there is no credible threat, and the item has been disposed of, a cordon does remain in place within St Stephen’s Shopping Centre at this time for evidential purposes, and to allow emergency services to safely conclude their enquiries.

“The item discovered was a cause for concern at the time and had to be examined by specialists to ensure it was appropriately handled and dealt with, so not to cause any risk or threat to the public.

“I want to thank all our residents and those in the local area for their patience, assistance and understanding, as we have to take all reports of this nature seriously and all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our communities.”