The Junction Leisure Centre: Evacuation after suspicious package found

Police and bomb disposal experts were called to The Junction Sports and Leisure Centre in Station Approach at 10.39am on Monday after a brown package with a watch face and wires was found between the nets on the tennis courts.

Corfe Mullen resident Jills Hobbs, who found the device, said: “I saw something by the tennis court. To me, it looked like a camera or some kind of recording device bit when I picked it up, I saw that it had wires all the way around it.

• LIVE: Suspicious package found at The Junction leisure centre

“I gave it to one of the tennis instructors who took it away and dealt with it.

“He said it could be an explosive device as it had three dials on it and a clock face which was ticking.

“Considering that is was Halloween yesterday, you would presume it was a toy or a decoration or something, but you can never be sure.

“I wasn’t really thinking about if it was really but after hearing the police turning up and the bomb disposal unit arriving, you do begin to wonder what could have happened. Afterwards my mind was racing.

“I am sure that it was not real but if t was, it is weird to find it close to a tennis court. You would think it would be somewhere where there is more people to cause more damage.

“You just have to be on the safe side with something like this.”

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Harry Butler, head coach and director at Broadstone Tennis Club, said: “A lot of our members were playing this morning and our other private coach James was running a session.

“One of the members gave me this package. The first thing I did was to go to The Junction to get a second opinion on it.

“To me, it looked too good to be a prop or something.

“I know it was Halloween yesterday and you see these sorts of things as decorations, but it looked very well made.

“I have had plenty of health and safety training but nothing on how to deal with something like this.

“It is hard. I didn’t want to make a fuss over nothing, but I thought, to be safe for me, my clients and the local residents, I needed to act quickly with it.

“Rather than put my life and career in jeopardy, I thought I should get out of there and let the police do their work.”

Station Approach was closed for a number of hours, with some users of the leisure centre unable to collect their belongings.

Claire Creech, who teaches Sweaty Mama at the leisure centre, said: “I arrived to teach Sweaty Mama which is a mum and baby fitness class as we normally would and I was informed by one of the members of staff that there had been reports of a suspicious package and not to worry just yet, just to be aware.

“And then I got all the clear, we knew police were here, so I started once they said that we could start the class and half-way through obviously we were told to evacuate which was a bit of a shock because we assumed everything was going to be OK.

“Luckily everyone got out and were fine and everyone gathered in the car park, all my mums and their babies and little ones. They all bought their things out with them luckily, so they all wandered off home safe and sound."

Helen Theakston who was visiting the leisure centre said: “My daughter has her swimming lessons there every Monday, it was completely normal when we arrived, no problems.

“Got out of swimming and went up to the soft play which we quite often do. We had been in there about five minutes when we heard over the tannoy that we needed to evacuate.

“Initially thought maybe it was a fire but thought ‘why isn’t the fire alarm going off?’, then somebody asked us to all leave, we asked them if it was a fire and they said no. They said it’s to do with the police and didn’t really give us any more information other than we needed to get out.

“It was very calm, the centre staff were really good, they were updating us and letting us know what was going on but since then we’ve not had any other updates other than what we’ve seen on the Echo website that there was a clock face and some wires.

“Now it’s a little bit more alarming but I feel like they’ve done everything right and kept us safe and that was the main thing.”

The Royal Logistic Corps Bomb Disposal unit arrived from Devon and a controlled explosion was carried out shortly before 2pm.

A Dorset Police spokesperson said: "Dorset Police received a report at 10.39am on Monday, November 1 that an unknown object had been located on the tennis court at the Junction Sports and Leisure Centre on Station Approach in Poole.

"A cordon was put in place around the item for the safety of members of the public. The EOD was notified and attended the location.

"Following a controlled detonation, the item was found to contain no explosive material and there was no longer deemed any threat to the public. The cordon was lifted at around 2.30pm.

"Enquiries are ongoing to establish the contents of the package and the full circumstances of the incident."