A SUSPECT has been identified, following the discovery of a suspicious "device" in Pinehurst yesterday. 

Police said that the individual was currently in prison on unrelated matters.

An investigation into the scare that saw bomb experts called to Pinehurst continues.

Wiltshire Police were called to Magnolia Court, off Pinehurst Road, at 10am- after a resident found a “suspicious item”.

Residents were asked to leave their homes from 1pm, with police officers erecting a cordon around the terraced house where the item was found.

Soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corps’ bomb squad attended the street, making the “device” safe, police said.

After a police search of the Magnolia Court home, officers found no further items of concern.

Police thanked residents for their co-operation – as well as Pinetrees Community Centre, which treated 18 people to teas, coffees, pasties and pizzas in its capacity as an emergency rest centre.

A spokeswoman for Wiltshire Police said: “We’d like to thank residents in the vicinity, some of whom were evacuated while the scene was made safe. We appreciate the inconvenience this could have caused and thank everyone for their patience.

“We’d also like to thank the nearby community centre which provided a room for residents to move to during the incident.

“It’s really important that incidents of this nature are treated as a credible threat, ensuring that the public’s safety is our priority.

“I am pleased to report that this incident was able to conclude safely. Enquiries will continue.”

The Swindon Advertiser asked Wiltshire Police to comment on the nature of the “device”. A spokeswoman for the force said that no further information would be released into the “ongoing investigation”.