A20 remains closed after four suspicious devices found

KentOnline / KMTV

At least four suspicious devices have been found at the scene where a man wielding a chainsaw was shot by officers near Maidstone.  The A20 in Hollingbourne is expected to remain closed over the coming days as Kent Police says searches are due to continue.  Finn Macdiarmid has been in the area today.

Transcript

00:00Ongoing searches in the area of Hollingbourne near Maidstone are set to continue over the

00:04coming days, with an explosive ordnance team tending to at least four suspicious devices

00:09in the ongoing investigation.

00:11The searches come after what officials are calling a police incident on Ashford Road

00:15near Maidstone on the 7th of July, where Sean O'Meara was shot as he approached armed police

00:20outside his parents' house.

00:22He was carrying a suspected explosive device and a chainsaw while wearing a gas mask and

00:27body armour.

00:29He's now in hospital in an induced coma and is said to be suffering from life-changing

00:33injuries.

00:34Since then, the A20 at Hollingbourne has been closed and reopened multiple times throughout

00:39the week, with Kent Police saying the A20 would be closed for the rest of the 10th and for

00:43several more days past that.

00:47Kent Police West Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Neil Loudon said officers are carrying out a

00:52very complex investigation.

00:55At this time, there's nothing to suggest there's a wider threat to the Hollingbourne community,

00:59but we have found at least four suspicious devices at the scene and it is important that

01:03the area is made safe.

01:05The disruption this is causing to the local community, businesses and users of the A20 is

01:10not lost on us and we're doing everything we can to make sure the area can return to

01:14normal as soon as possible.

01:15And I'd like to thank the public for their patience and understanding.

01:18The road closures have meant that traffic has been impacted in the local area, with the

01:23village of Hollingbourne particularly affected.

01:25Residents have been sharing videos of large trucks and lorries making their way through the

01:29small village streets.

01:31There have also been closures on the M20, with police warning the motorway could shut again.

01:37With the investigations continuing, we'll only know more about what's happened as the police

01:41tell us.

01:42As they say at this time, they've found nothing to suggest any ongoing threat to the local

01:46community and that safety remains their top priority.

01:49Finn McDermid for KMTV in Hollingbourne.

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