TWO men have been arrested from the Newport area following Tuesday's bomb alert in Risca.

The two men are being held on suspicion of possession of an explosive article in suspicious circumstances.

A spokesman for Gwent Police said that a "bag of fireworks and other items' handed to police were at the centre of a bomb alert in the town on Tuesday.

Gwent Police said the package was "securely stored" after an assessment by EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) officers at Risca Police Station.

The spokesman said the assessment happened at around 3.30pm where the items were being kept. Following a detailed assessment and examination of the items, the EOD decided that they "were of a suspicious nature".

He added the EOD decided to conduct a small controlled explosion on Tuesday morning "to make the items safe" which caused no damage to the facility in which they were being stored or Risca Police Station.

The spokesman said where possible this kind of procedure is carried out in daylight hours hence the planned delay in action being taken.

The spokesman added to ensure that the controlled explosion posed no threat, a standard 100m cordon was put in place as a safety precaution and houses within that vicinity were temporarily evacuated. The items have now been sent to a forensic laboratory for tests to determine exactly what they were.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Ian Roberts commented: "I’m very grateful to local residents and businesses for their patience, understanding and support during what must have been a worrying time. We apologise to anyone who may have been inconvenienced during the time when the cordon was in place, but hopefully people will understand that everything was done in an attempt to minimise any risk of injury to the public."