A bomb disposal squad was called to a County Durham recycling centre after a "suspicious item" was found.
Police received the report at around 9.45am on Sunday morning and attended the scene on Strangford Road in Seaham.
A cordon was placed in the area as a precaution while the bomb disposal experts attended the scene to investigate the item.
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The squad then found that the item posed no threat.
At the time, a spokeswoman for Durham Constabulary said: “We were called at about 9.45am this morning to Strangford Road, Seaham, to reports of a suspicious item.
“Bomb disposal experts attended the scene and deemed the item posed no threat.
“A cordon was put in place as a precaution during this time.
“We would like to thank everyone for their patience and support while we attended the incident.”
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