A forgotten rucksack was the cause of a police cordon at Caerphilly railway station last night, according to police.
At around 9.30pm on Thursday, May 25, police were called after reports that a bag had been left at the station. However, as police were responding the owner of the bag had already contacted Arriva Trains Wales to explain they had left it there accidentally.
Passengers were also evacuated from the adjoining bus terminus.
A Gwent Police spokeswoman said the cordon and the evacuation was a precaution and that the incident was all over relatively shortly.
I am wondering how much wasted police time and pubic inconvenience is going to happen in the febrile times we are currently living in? The chances of any mad jihadi planting a bomb in Caerffili railway station is vanishingly small.
We endured years of no litter bins in the Cardiff railway stations in because of the threat of IRA bombs. How may IRA bombs were planted in Wales during decades of terrorism? None, so far as I am aware.
I do have sympathy for the police as a failure to respond would appear, to the more hysterical of our population, to be irresponsible. Personally though I would prefer a few officers patrolling our town regularly looking for thieves, vandals and bullies rather than being tied up on these fool’s errands dealing with non existent bombs – two in one place in one week!
I agree with you on certain points Richard. The chance of s bomb at caerphilly is going to be rare, how ever this could have a been a trail run to cardiff ot it could have been intended for Cardiff. My grandson is going to cardiff for the champions league and i am worried sick. So i think people have a right to be careful. That being said i would rather see extra police on the streets too, instead of these community officers or these warden types. Both fail in their role
Policing should be left to Police Officets,even more so with the increased threat of terrorism.
These quasi organisations are not a viable alternative to fully trained Police Officers,and more importantly,just like other uniformed organisations are a potential target for terrorists.
All funding linked to policing and public safety should wholly go to frontline policing – the gimmicks and quasi organisations are a waste of money which could be better spent directly via increasing the number of Police Officers.
I agree that we need to be careful and vigilant, this will help the police do their job. We also have to be realistic. I lived right through the murderous IRA campaign, as I am sure you did too.
During this time government, police, armed forces and Joe Public generally got on with life. A terrorist aims for notoriety, they commit murders in the largest cities. If there were to be a terror attack in a town our size it would not raise a ripple of concern in the centre of power, London. This is why an attack is unlikely here.
I agree that a terriost attack in Caerphilly would be very unlikley, however it could be used as a way of committing an attack in Cardiff. I know we need to be cautist but i do feel that if people just looked in the bag first it would save all the fuss. The problem is we have a generation of snowflakes who will melt at anything
Absolutely right. I don’t know any figures, as I have never worked on the railways, but many parcels, rucksacks,haversacks, briefcases, etc must be left on trains and in stations every day. Whilst it would be possible to cordon off every single one and call the bomb disposal people this would hardly be wise.
That is my point, let us be careful but not paranoid.