- author, Samantha Noble
- role, BBC News, East Midlands
A man has been detained under the Mental Health Act after two controlled explosions occurred on the city’s outskirts.
Emergency services were called to Allington Avenue in the Lenton area of Nottingham at around 3pm BST on Friday and a large cordon was set up.
Nottinghamshire Police said two suspicious packages were found – one in Maxwell Court and the other in Allington Avenue – and were defused by bomb disposal experts.
Residents in the area were evacuated before returning home on Saturday.
Two explosions were heard in the city on Friday, and police said on Saturday the incident had been “safely resolved.”
The blockade was completely lifted on Saturday morning.
The spokesman added: “Nothing suspicious was found and the incident was deemed safe shortly after 5am.”
Many of the victims are students, who have been provided temporary accommodation by universities in the city, and their families have been taken in by relatives or friends.
Walton Hotel on North Road has also opened for short-term stays, police said.
“I would like to once again thank all those who have hosted friends and neighbours who have been displaced by this incident,” Superintendent John Foy said.
“We would also like to thank residents for their patience and understanding whilst work is carried out to bring this incident to a safe conclusion.”
Kate Lowenthal, president of the Renton Residents Association, said at least 100 people were at the Walton Hotel Friday night.
She added: “It was strange. [Police officers] People began evacuating the streets.
“They didn’t seem to know where people were supposed to go. People left the hotel at about 1:30 a.m.”
Lowenthal said local residents have reached out to her and authorities for help and have “tremendous concern.”
“There aren’t as many people here compared to a month ago because a lot of the students have left, but there are still a lot of residents living around here,” she said.
“I was concerned myself. I’ve lived here all my life and my father was a doctor around here in the ’50s and ’60s and some of his elderly patients are still alive and living in their driveways.
“We have people in their 90s, a 102-year-old man. We thought, ‘If they’re inside their homes, the police won’t get to the front door when they knock,’ so we tried to find out the addresses and contact information of the residents who are really at risk.”
Lowenthal said residents were “very grateful” to hotel staff for providing food and drinks.
“They were truly heroes,” she said.
“They took care of people and made sandwiches, all for free. They did a great job.”
Dana Vinclea is customer relations manager at the Walton Hotel, which provided shelter for the displaced residents.
A 23-year-old man said the hotel offered to help after hearing from police that residents were evacuating, and that at one point nearly 200 people were being provided with food and shelter.
“I was so busy I didn’t even have time to answer the phone,” she said.
“The restaurant was full, the terrace was full, the rooms were full, there were older people there. [people]Some kids were sleeping on the sofa.
“There were people of all ages. There were moms with little babies, there was a mom with five kids. There was a whole range of people.”
“Not understanding what was going on, we started offering free drinks to everyone, we set up coffee, water and tea stands at the restaurant bar and squash stands for the kids.
“It was getting late and everyone was getting hungry, so [so] We made sandwiches and also chips. [we said] We understand that it’s a very stressful situation, so we just do it.”
Students Daisy McTeer Smith, 20, and Kelsey Jane Donachie, 21, who live on Allington Avenue, said the University of Nottingham had arranged accommodation for them after they sought help.
“Our housemates were evacuated. Police knocked on the door and said, ‘Get out,'” Donachie said.
“We couldn’t go back to university and were in limbo for a while, but luckily the university provided us with accommodation.
“We called them and said, ‘We have nowhere to go,’ and they put us up in a hotel.”
Ms McTier Smith said it felt “a bit strange” to return to her quiet street on Saturday morning, but the situation was “not really cause for concern”.
“I hope things will be OK from now on,” she added.
Nicholas Landon, 24, of Park Estate, was heading towards Park Road when he came across the cordon.
“There were a few police cars but nobody knew what was going on so we had to find another way,” he said.
“Then, past Derby Road, all roads were closed and police vehicles were on hand to stop anyone getting on these roads.
“The university term is over and most of the undergraduates have gone home, so the area is pretty quiet. [normally] Nothing in particular is happening.”
Dina Jennings said she arrived in Nottingham with a friend about 3.15pm and went shopping before being unable to return to the area.
A short time later, they managed to retrieve the dog from the property with the assistance of police.
“It’s great to have him back, the officers have been great and they’ve even got my friend’s medication,” she said.
“I was excited, scared, and tired. The police and fire department [service] They did a great job keeping everyone safe. [and] Everything is under control now and we are happy to have our dog back.”
