NI hit by new anthrax scare

Workers have been de-contaminated in special tents

A new anthrax alert has emerged in Northern Ireland.

About 300 workers at the postal depot in Mallusk on the outskirts of Belfast have been evacuated from the building following the discovery of a suspect package and an envelope.

Seven people are understood to have been in the room at the time.

Those seven have been quarantined on the advice of the emergency services.

They are now being treated as a pre-cautionary measure following the incident on Wednesday.

Earlier, more than 50 people were treated in hospital after three separate anthrax scares across Northern Ireland.

White powder

Almost 1,000 people were moved from offices in Belfast and Londonderry after the discovery of white powder in the mail.

About 700 people were moved out of the mail sorting office in Tomb Street, Belfast, after white powder was found in a letter handled by two members of staff.

About 40 people were taken to hospital and the fire service set up a de-contamination area at the back of the building.

The results of tests in Belfast are due later

In a separate incident, the offices of Derry City Council were evacuated following the discovery of a letter containing white powder.

Up to 180 people left their offices at Strand Road at about 1015 BST and the emergency services attended the scene.

The workers were decontaminated at the scene by fire crews in chemical protection suits. The room where the letter was sent was sealed off.

A suspicious envelope was also delivered to the offices of Raytheon, an American company in the Science and Technology Park in Derry. The three packages are now being tested.

It did not contain anthrax.

Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderrry said eight people had been treated in its casualty department and all were issued with precautionary antibiotics.

Meanwhile, four staff at the Independent Newspaper offices in Dublin have had medical examinations after coming into contact with a suspect package.

The letter, which was delivered to the company's Dublin offices, was not opened and has been removed by the Irish army.

The developments came after a west Belfast woman said she feared she had been sent anthrax in the post.

Margaret Kelly and her two-year-old grandson, Tom, were treated with antibiotics after white powder was found inside a card sent to her home in the Falls Road area.

Strip

The powder has been sent to England for analysis and the first test results are due on Thursday.

Mrs Kelly from Dunville Street told BBC Radio Ulster: "When I saw the powder I was so shocked. Anthrax just hit my mind. The child had brought it into me and I was worried about him."

The emergency services then arrived at the house and Mrs Kelly said she was told to strip and was then hosed down in her back yard.

Margaret Kelly: "They hosed me down"

"They hosed me down with the child and the child went into hysterics with the force of the water," she said.

"It was a while before the ambulance would accept me into it to go to the hospital. They were not going to take me.

"I was standing on the street wrapped in blankets frozen stiff with the child in my arms, and he was in hysterics, squealing."

The fire brigade's divisional officer, Chris Kerr, said his officers had followed normal procedures.

"That's the standard procedure for decontaminating someone who may have been contaminated by a chemical or other agent," he said.

False alarms

Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Henrietta Campbell, said a decision had been taken at the scene to "treat it as suspicious".

Dr Campbell said her officials implemented plans put in place since the Gulf War to cope with the possible exposure of people to biological weapons.

She said the authorities were following the use of anthrax around the world closely but were also trying to deal with false alarms.

The Department of Health said the risk from anthrax in Northern Ireland was very low.

However, in light of the incidents in Belfast and Derry, it has decided to set up a helpline to reassure members of the public. The helpline number is 02890 520738.

The RUC has urged anyone receiving suspicious mail to contact them for advice.

The Home Office said on Tuesday there was no intelligence to suggest there was a "specific threat" to Britain from biological or chemical attack.