A BOMB squad has kept a cordon at Donald Trump’s new Scottish golf course after it was locked down following reports that a suspicious package was discovered.
Police Scotland said the cordon had been removed at the Menie Estate, Aberdeenshire, after officers carried out checks on a vehicle and had determined there was no criminality.
However, police have now said that as the cordon was being removed, members from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment requested to carry out further checks of the vehicle.
Police have confirmed that the lock down of the entrance is still ongoing.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “As the cordon was being removed, military colleagues from EOD requested to carry out further checks on the vehicle.
“These remain ongoing, and the decision has been taken to maintain the cordon at this time.”
Members of the public, journalists and staff at the site were evacuated from the entrance to the course and moved beyond a crash barrier after the alarm was raised.
One report has claimed that people had been blocked from leaving the area for more than an hour.
Earlier in the day, Trump teed off at the New Course in Menie in front of a crowd including golfers, the Scottish First Minister and the Scottish Labour leader.
Trump also made reference to late James Bond actor Sean Connery’s reported support for his golf resort – even attempting to recreate the actor’s voice.
Just before hitting the first ball at the New Course, the US president told those gathered on a grandstand: “We started with a beautiful piece of land, but we made it much more beautiful.
“The area has really welcomed us. If you remember at the beginning there wasn’t quite a welcome, but it wasn’t bad.
“But with time they liked us more and more, now they love us and we love them.”
Critics have claimed that the Trump developments in Scotland have not delivered as many jobs as promised and that work at the Menie site has caused environmental damage.
