Police understand the munitions were taken off the train while it was temporarily stationary in Warrington, and seven of the packages were discarded nearby. Police understand the munitions were taken off the train while it was temporarily stationary in Warrington, and seven of the packages were discarded nearby.
The North-West Counter Terrorism Unit (NWCTU) is appealing for information
following the theft of munitions from a freight train between Cumbria and
Oxfordshire.
Ten packages, each containing four separate plastic cases,
were initially reported missing to the British Transport Police, shortly after
7.30am on Thursday 25 October 2012 morning when the munitions were discovered
missing when the train arrived at Didcot, Oxfordshire.
Seven of these
packages have now been found near a railway line in the Folley Lane area of
Warrington, Cheshire. Officers from NWCTU are continuing with their enquiries.
Three
of the packages, which were made up of a total of 12 plastic cases, are still
outstanding and police enquiries are ongoing.
The MoD-owned
munitions were on the train when it left Longtown in Cumbria at approximately
11.30am on Wednesday.
Police now understand the munitions were taken off the train
while it was temporarily stationary in Warrington, and seven of the packages
were discarded nearby.
Officers are now appealing to anyone who may have seen the
outstanding items to contact police.
They are described as being rectangular
plastic tubes, approximately 4ft (1.2 metres) in length.
A co-ordinated
investigation led by the North West Counter Terrorism Unit also includes the
Metropolitan Police Service, British Transport Police and MoD.
Assistant Chief
Constable Terry Sweeney from North West Counter Terrorism Unit said: "A number
of enquiries are now being made by police officers into this theft, and our main
priority is to safely recover the missing items.
"At this stage
there is nothing to suggest the theft is terrorist-related, but due to the
potential complexity of the investigation, our enquiries are being led by
counter terrorism officers.
"We would like to appeal to any members of the public
who may know the whereabouts of these items, or any persons involved in the
theft of these items to contact the police immediately.
"I want to make it
clear that, in their normal condition, these munitions are stable and do not
pose a risk to the public.
"However, the materials could be hazardous if they
were to be tampered with and we therefore ask that anyone who sees them or knows
where they are to call the police as soon as possible."
Anyone with
information is asked to call police on 0161 856 1027 or the independent charity
Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
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