UPDATED: Police find 'military equipment' at Booker Common (From Bucks Free Press)

'Military equipment' found in Booker woods

10:45am Saturday 27th October 2012 in News By Lawrence Dunhill

An officer at the scene today

Updated

POLICE have found a piece of ‘military equipment’ which was seemingly buried at Booker Common - but do not believe it is related to any type of terrorist activity.

Officers said no ammunition has so far been found.

An area of Horns Lane was cordoned off throughout this morning after a member of the public reported some disturbed ground at the location yesterday. The military equipment is still being examined.

Residents had reported seeing armed police and forensics at the woodland earlier today, but officers at the scene this morning would not reveal any information about the incident.

A statement has since been released this afternoom in which Supt Barry Halliday said: “I appreciate that a police cordon of this size can cause real concern in the community.

“However, I would like to make it very clear that that we do not believe that the equipment that has been found at Booker Common is related to any type of terrorist activity.

“Our search has clearly only just commenced and therefore it is too early to discuss exactly what has been found, however, it appears from what we have recovered  so far the equipment was buried and enquiries will continue over the next few hours.”

It is being reported separately today that a cargo of munitions were stolen from a freight train on Wednesday, which was heading from Cumbria to Didcot in Oxfordshire.

It is not clear whether the two incidents are linked as Thames Valley Police has told the Bucks Free Press that no further information is currently being released.

Ten packages containing what are reported to be anti-tank mines, used by British troops in Afghanistan, were believed to have been stolen from the train as it stopped in Warrington, Cheshire.

The North West Counter Terrorism Unit does not believe at this stage the theft was terror-related, and said the Ministry of Defence-owned munitions do not pose a risk to the public unless they are tampered with.

Three of the packages, each with four separate plastic cases inside, remain outstanding after the other seven were found discarded near a railway line in the Folley Lane area of Warrrington.

The items, pictured below, are described as being rectangular plastic tubes, approximately 4ft (1.2 metres) in length. Photo by GMP/PA

A co-ordinated investigation led by the NWCTU also includes the Metropolitan Police Service, British Transport Police and the MoD.

Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney, from the NWCTU, said in a statement: "At this stage there is nothing to suggest the theft is terrorist-related but due to the potential complexity of the investigation our inquiries are being led by counter terrorism officers.”

The team from NWCTU have been unavailable for further comment.