Chiswick High Road was closed last Saturday (13th August) evening when police received a hoax call about a white van.

Emergency services and armed response units were summoned and the road was closed between Turnham Green Terrace and Chiswick Lane for around 45 minutes.

The van was isolated and bomb disposal units were on standby when a man approached police saying that the van belonged to him. According to one report he had been in a nearby bookmakers oblivious to all the commotion outside. Once he provided identification to the police they were satisfied that there was no threat and allowed him to drive it away.

A spokesperson for the local police condemned the hoaxer for wasting police time at such an inappropriate point in time and said that all such incidents would be treated very seriously.

August 16, 2005