Bomb disposal unit at train station after ‘alert’

National Rail said trains had been cancelled and services would likely be affected until about 22:00 GMT

BBC A female police officer stands next to a police car next to police tape connected between two lampposts, with other emergency vehicles seen in the background. — National Rail said trains had been cancelled and services would likely be affected until about 22:00 GMT

A city’s railway and bus station have been evacuated due to a bomb scare.

Chester station closed at about 18:00 GMT and a police cordon was put up around it, with no buses running from the nearby bus interchange.

National Rail has confirmed some train lines have resumed after the station was closed following the alert.

According to eyewitnesses, the city’s bus station has also been sealed off by police, with bomb disposal vans pictured close to the incident.

A bomb disposal unit was seen by the police cordon in Chester

A bomb disposal van with the rear doors open next to a police vehicle with a group of police in high vis seen through the night sky. — A bomb disposal unit was seen by the police cordon in Chester

Train operator Northern confirmed the line had been “blocked” due to the alert, but its services have since restarted.

Merseyrail and Avanti West Coast routes from London Euston have been affected, and Transport for Wales services to Cardiff, Crewe, Manchester, and Wolverhampton.

A number of trains have been delayed or cancelled while police deal with the incident, National Rail has said.

Passengers have been told to expect “major disruption” until about 22:00 GMT, with cancellations and delays.

Police have cordoned off city centre streets in Chester

Police vans and a fire engine seen through the trees on a street by Chester station, with blue lights flashing and officers gathered on the road. — Police have cordoned off city centre streets in Chester

No bus services are currently serving the station or the interchange due to the incident, a spokesman for Stagecoach said.

BBC News has approached Cheshire Police and British Transport Police for comment.

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