army

[Update: The Army have decided it wasn’t suspicious after all.]

Via BBC Bristol:

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said an Army explosives team was called to examine the package which was "deemed to be safe and non suspicious".

[Original Post]

Via Avon & Somerset Constabulary:

Motorists are being advised to find alternative routes home after the discovery of a suspicious package on the A38 at Filton.

The package was discovered in Gypsy Patch Lane, Patchway, Bristol at around 3.46pm.

An army explosives team has been called in as a precaution and a number of buildings in the area have been evacuated.

The Highways Agency is currently managing traffic in the area.
Gloucester Road North is closed from the junction of Gypsy Patch Lane to Station Road.

Diversions are in place.

A nice surprise in the the papers for the March 31st full meeting of the council of the city of Bristol:

To propose the granting of the 'Freedom of the City' to two divisions of the Territorial Army:

• 266 Division (Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery) Battery, Royal Artillery (Volunteers); and
• 57 Division (City and County of Bristol) Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals (Volunteers)

(Note: they're not actually divisions, but that's just a misunderstanding of terminology which will no doubt be cleared up in due course. And there's only one Army now - Regular & Territorial).

57 Squadron is a unit of 39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment, based in Horfield. Their mission used to be to hang around above ground after a nuclear strike while everyone else retired to the bunkers, and operate a godawful piece of high-frequency (HF) radio equipment called NCRS. They also had a sideline operating an insecure VHF system called MOULD. Fortunately we never saw NCRS deployed in anger (although I recall one of the Staffies going on a jolly to Romania for an exercise), but MOULD used to get a regular outing providing safety checkpoints for the Ten Tors.

I say "we", because 57 Squadron was my old unit, and it's great to see them getting a bit of recognition.

266 (Gloucester Volunteer Artillery) Parachute Battery RA(V) is Bristol's main volunteer combat unit, based at the Artillery Grounds on Whiteladies Road (see below for Google Streetview, but unfortunately no pictures of Horfield). I don't know too much about their work, but one chap who does is unit member (and Conservative candidate for Filton & Bradley Stoke) Gunner Jack Lopresti, who has recently returned from a stint in Afghanistan. Have a look at his website for more details.

Freedom of the City of Bristol for units of the Territorial Army

The Artillery Grounds, Whiteladies Road (Google Street View)

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