Mystery powder identified in Plymouth incident

A white powder which caused an incident at an address in Plymouth has been identified as the contents of a fire extinguisher.

Police and the fire service attended a flat on Merrivale Road, Beacon Park, at 7.45pm yesterday (21 April) following initial reports of a burglary and vandalism at the property.

On attendance police discovered a large amount of unknown white powder all over the property which caused stinging to the eyes and throat of the officers at the scene.

Two Special Constables who entered the address complained of minor skin irritation and minor respiratory issues as did the male resident. All were assisted by the fire service before being taken to hospital. They have since been released.

The property remained under police guard today while further investigation was undertaken by a hazardous material investigation unit. This is standard procedure to protect public safety when such a substance is unidentified.

The powder has since been tested and found to be the contents of a discharged older-style fire extinguisher. The scene guard and cordon around the property has now been removed.

Chief Superintendent Andy Boulting, commander of Plymouth Police, said: “The occupant of the property could not identify the powder and our officers had suffered side effects as a result of entering the premises.

“Public safety is paramount and we take incidents such as these very seriously. All of the necessary precautions and actions were taken to safeguard the public and establish the identity of the powder. Thankfully the powder has now been tested by specialist officers and found to originate from a fire extinguisher and this does not pose any threat to wider public health and safety.

“The matter will now be investigated as an act of burglary and criminal damage. We would like to thank the residents in the area for their patience and assistance with the police activity over the last couple of days.”

Local patrols are being conducted in the area to provide reassurance and information about the incident to residents in the community.