Wrexham Covid vaccine plant gives update after suspicious package saw bomb squad called

The Wrexham factory making the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine said it suspended manufacturing as a suspicious package was investigated today but that its production schedule has not been impacted.

Wockhardt UK in Wrexham is carrying out the "fill and finish" stage of the manufacturing process and is set to produce around 300 million doses of the vaccine each year.

This morning a suspicious package was received - triggering a partial evacuation.

Police and bomb disposal teams were called to Wrexham Industrial Estate.

Police seal off the area around Wockhardt UK's factory on Wrexham industrial estate (Ian Cooper/North Wales Live)

A Wockhardt UK spokesman this afternoon said: "We can confirm that the investigation on the suspicious package received today has been concluded.

"Given that staff safety is our main priority manufacturing was temporarily paused whilst this took place safely.

"We can now confirm that the package was made safe and staff are now being allowed back into the facility.

"This temporary suspension of manufacturing has in no way affected our production schedule and we are grateful to the authorities and experts for their swift response and resolution of the incident."

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