Cathedral cordon lifted

Police are not revealing what the substance was

A security alert at Rochester Cathedral has been called off after a suspect substance was found to be harmless.

The area was re-opened on Tuesday afternoon, after a cordon was put up on Monday.

The cathedral had been evacuated and surrounding roads were closed while a remote-controlled unit was sent into the building.

Kent Police refused to reveal the nature of the substance found in the cathedral's precincts.

We have to be very careful to ensure we don't create the kind of corrosion in society which is what the terrorist wants

Bob Marshall-Andrews MP

A spokeswoman said after tests were carried out the substance had not posed a danger to the public.

She said: "We won't be revealing what the substance actually was, in order not to compromise any police investigation that may arise from the incident."

The cathedral's precincts were re-opened at about 1200 BST, she added.

The incident in the Kent city started at about 0845 BST on Monday, when the package was discovered by a member of the cathedral staff.

Police were alerted, and later sealed off Castle Hill and other roads leading to the 900-year-old building, although the High Street remained open.

A number of residents living near the cathedral were also requested to leave their homes as a precaution.

'Police state'

An army bomb disposal unit was then called to the cathedral.

They sent a remote-controlled device into the building.

Speaking to BBC Radio Kent on Monday, Bob Marshall-Andrews, the Labour MP for Medway, the constituency which contains Rochester Cathedral, said this kind of disruption was to be expected following the terrorist actions in America.

"We have to be very careful to ensure that we don't create the kind of corrosion in society which is what the terrorist wants.

"They want us to turn ourselves into a police state and we must resist that at all costs."