Suspect package at finance firm

No-one was allowed in or out of the building during the incident

Staff at a Guernsey finance firm have been praised by police for remaining calm after receiving a suspicious package in the post.

Officers were called to the St Peter Port office of Barclays Wealth just before 0900 GMT after powder was found inside a letter sent to the company.

About 60 staff were locked in the building for four hours while police checked for contamination.

The substance was found to be harmless, police said.

It was very concerning for the people who came into contact with it Insp JP Le Breton

The letter contained a note which prompted staff at Barclays Wealth, part of the Barclays Bank group, to call police.

Inspector JP Le Breton, from Guernsey Police, said: "There was concern about whether the item of mail contained some form of harmful material.

"We take a standard course of action regarding anyone who comes into contact with suspicious mail.

"It was very concerning for the people who came into contact with it."

He said he could not reveal what the substance was but added it was not believed to be harmful "in any way".

Analysis of the powder was delayed while police waited for specialist equipment borrowed from Jersey to arrive.

An investigation is now under way to establish who sent the letter to the company and why.