Skip to content

Man arrested as university buildings cordoned off

BBC A female police officer standing in front of a large, red brick building with large windows. The building's glass door has been taped off with blue and white police tape. There is more tape directly behind the police officer who is has tied back brown hair and is wearing a hi-vis yellow vest and black trousers.BBC
The cordon remains in place at the university's Islamic Centre

A man has been arrested in connection with reports of a suspicious item at a city university.

A large police cordon had been put up around a section of Newcastle University, closing off streets surrounding the Kings Road area of the campus, including St Thomas' Street and Brewery Lane.

Streets surrounding the university, as well as the nearby Royal Victoria Infirmary, had been taped off by the force causing disruption on and around campus.

Northumbria Police said it was called to the site on Kings Road at 14:10 BST. A cordon was put up but by 18:00 it had been lifted, apart from a section outside the university's Islamic Society.

A spokesperson for the university said a small number of its buildings had been temporarily evacuated.

The Islamic Society occupies an annex in the university's King George VI building although the wider building is not closed off.

Police said a 33-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of communicating false information and remained in police custody.

A spokesperson said searches had been carried out but "have since been stood down".

A female and male police officer standing with their backs to the camera, facing a road which slopes upwards. The female officer is on the left and has blonde, short hair tied in a ponytail. The man looks to have no hair underneath his tall police hat. Both are wearing yellow hi-vis vests which say Police on the pack in a blue box and black tops underneath. The street is lined with terraced houses on both sides.
The cordon surrounding the wider university has been lifted

Follow BBC Newcastle on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram and listen to Radio Newcastle on BBC Sounds.

Related internet links