Army bomb squad removes 'historical items'

The Army Bomb Disposal Team was in attendance at an incident in Athlone this evening after a number of suspect devices were identified at the DPD depot on the Dublin Road.

The army unit was called to the scene by Gardai, and arrived at the premises in the Athlone Business Park at 8.10pm.

"A large number of staff were evacuated from the premises and the scene was preserved," said the Garda press office in a statement tonight.

"Gardaí were alerted to the incident when a number of devices were located. The Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) attended the scene, and has since removed the items for examination.

"The devices were deemed not viable. All personnel have returned to work after the location was declared safe," said the Garda statement, which added that investigations into the incident were continuing.

The nearby Lidl store on the Dublin Road also closed early this evening. A post on the Lidl Ireland social media account said it had closed earlier than usual "due to unforeseen circumstances".

There was significant traffic congestion in the vicinity during the incident.

A Defence Forces statement said: "On arrival a cordon was established. A number of historical items were identified. The items were made safe and removed for disposal."

The army team left the scene at 9.05pm.

UPDATE: 10PM - READ DPD STATEMENT HERE