Detectives hunt 'hoaxer' after two buses evacuated and bomb squad called to Chester

Police have said reports of 'suspicious activity' on two buses in Chester, which led to part of the city being shut down, were 'malicious'.

The person behind the hoax, which resulted in the evacuation of the city's train and bus stations, a large cordon being established, and the bomb squad being called in, is now being sought by the police.

CheshireLive reported that the force arrived at the scene around 5.10pm on Friday evening (November 22). This resulted in the railway and bus stations being cordoned off and all trains being prevented from entering or leaving the city.

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Cheshire Police had previously said that it received a report of 'suspicious activity' on two buses in the city centre - one near the train station and one near the bus interchange. As the cordon was established, several roads were closed and bomb disposal teams were summoned.

The force has now confirmed it is pursuing 'the person responsible for causing widespread disruption'. Officers are also eager to speak with a female passenger who alerted the bus driver.

Detective Inspector Rupert Morrey said: "Thankfully there was no substance behind the claim made by a passenger that there was a package on either of the buses. It appears to have been malicious and we are doing everything we can to find the person responsible.

"This person caused widespread disruption in the middle of rush hour and caused considerable concern among the community. We have an abundance of CCTV in Chester and on the busses as well as other lines of enquiries to help us with our investigation and are relentlessly pursuing these to find the person responsible."

Witnesses should call 101 and quote IML 1968640.