A 73-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of “administering an unknown noxious substance” after people began feeling unwell in Bath, police said.
Emergency services were called to Stall Street on Monday following reports of a woman approaching people with a plastic bag who then began feeling unwell.
Emergency workers wearing hazmat suits were spotted at the scene as the area was cordoned off.
Avon and Somerset Police initially said two people were taken to hospital after being approached by the woman but ultimately only one woman needed to be taken.
Police said she was experiencing breathing difficulties and itchy eyes. She was checked over and discharged later in the evening.
Please see an update below to an incident in #Bath yesterday.
Tests have revealed no chemical or hazardous substances were found in the area where the cordon was set up.
An accessible version of the statement can be found here: https://t.co/TlRjIOkxOD pic.twitter.com/sRzYMUkyky
— Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) July 30, 2024
The cordon was lifted shortly before 8pm and no trace of any chemical or hazardous substance was found.
CCTV inquiries were carried out to identify the individual and a 73-year-old was subsequently arrested on suspicion of administering an unknown noxious substance.
Chief Inspector Scott Hill, of the Bath Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We’d like to thank the public for their patience and understanding while we dealt with an incident in Bath yesterday.
“Public safety is always our top priority and we implemented well-rehearsed plans to ensure this isolated incident was dealt with as swiftly and effectively as possible.
“All emergency services have a duty of care to their staff and so a decision was made to wear protective clothing while there was uncertainty about what we were dealing with.
“Further enquiries will be required to fully understand what caused some people to experience feeling unwell but to help us progress that work we have made an arrest as we seek to establish whether any offence has been committed.
“We can confirm thorough testing of the surrounding public area was carried out before the cordon was lifted which confirmed there were no traces of any chemical substance.
“We are aware there was speculation on social media yesterday about this and hope confirming this provides reassurance to the public.
“We are not aware of there being any increased risk to the public but officers will be on patrol in the city centre today if anyone wishes to speak with us directly to raise any concerns they may have.“
Anyone with information is asked to contacted the police on 101.
