A man drove through the barriers of the St Omer Barracks in Aldershot yesterday and damaged a vehicle with a knife, police said – a police bomb squad was rushed to the scene
A bomb squad was called in after a man drove through the barriers of a disused Army barracks and damaged a vehicle with a knife, police said.
Police were called at 4.30pm on Saturday after reports of a man trying to enter the St Omer Barracks in Aldershot. He had reportedly driven through the barriers before getting out of the car, shouting at the guards and damaging the outside of the car with a knife.
Police originally said that Explosive Ordnance Disposal team (EOD) had detonated a car because of comments the man made. However, Hampshire Constabulary has since said the vehicle was not exploded, as the EOD found no explosive threat.
No-one was hurt and the force has confirmed the incident is not currently being treated as terror-related. A 54-year-old man, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife blade/sharp pointed article in a public place and criminal damage.
He remains in custody, police said. A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary said: “We were called at 4:30pm yesterday afternoon (Saturday 8 March) with reports that a man had attempted to enter the St Omer Barracks in Aldershot. It was reported that the man had driven through the barriers before exiting the car, shouting at the guards and damaging the outside of the car with a knife.
“Officers attended and arrested a 54 year-old man of no fixed abode on suspicion of possessing a knife blade / sharp pointed article in a public place and criminal damage. He remains in police custody at this time. Due to comments made by the man, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team also attended, but confirmed there was no explosive threat.
“No one was hurt. An investigation has been launched and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances. At this time, it is not being treated as a terrorism related incident.”
St Omer Barracks was established in 1941 as part of the expansion of the Aldershot Garrison, which is known as the “Home of the British Army”. The barracks are named in honour of the town of St Omer in France, which served as a key base for British forces during World War I. A large tower block containing over 60 kitchen-classrooms, lecture rooms, a cinema, a theatre and two 500-seater dining rooms was constructed on the site in the 1960s, before being demolished in 2007. Since then, various parts of the barracks have become disused or have been redeveloped, including a Junior Ranks bar, which was last year converted into a modern conference centre for military personnel.
