Visitors to the Museum of Liverpool were forced to evacuate the building yesterday after a “suspicious item” that some thought to be an explosive device was found on the premises, according to the BBC.
Among those who were ushered out of the building were a group of Labour Party politicians who were gathered for an event by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR), a progressive think tank based in Northern England.
A bomb squad was dispatched to the museum to investigate the device and the museum was closed. The “suspicious item,” which was described by police as a “World War II training device,” was deemed by police to “pose no threat to the public,” according to the BBC, which noted that offers had failed to actually say what the item was. It is currently unclear why or how the device got into the museum.
Deactivated, obsolete, and inert military weapons, including practice grenades, can be purchased online for as little as £65 (about $80).
According to The Independent, Liverpool is currently hosting a Labour Party conference, where Sir Keir Starmer intends to launch his bid to become the next Prime Minister of England. The IPPR event continued outside the museum and later moved to the Tate Liverpool gallery.
The museum has since reopened.
