Two people have been taken to hospital with breathing difficulties after a woman approached them with a bag in Bath, police said.
A major operation is underway in the city centre after the incident led members of the public to ‘feel unwell’.
Footage circulating online shows officers wearing hazmat suits tending to members of the public in a cordon which was set up right next to Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths.
The cordon has now been lifted, police confirmed this evening, after it was put in place ‘to ensure public safety’.
Police have made no arrests thus far and locked down the area on the main High Street which is usually packed with tourists in the summer.
Police said two people have been taken to hospital after reporting experiencing difficulty breathing and itchy eyes.
One witness said they saw members of the public being treated at the scene.
They said: ‘They took one woman off into some blue tarpaulin sheets and seemed to have hosed her down.
‘She must have been told to remove her clothes, as she came out wearing a big orange suit covering her body.
‘Then she was walked to the ambulance escorted by what I think was a paramedic wearing a full hazmat suit with breathing apparatus.’
Robert Clench, who lives in the city centre, told he was ‘stunned’ as he walked past and saw several emergency crews descending on the scene.
The 24-year-old added: ‘A very large area outside the Roman Baths was all cordoned off. I saw people in hazmat suits, fire, police and ambulances. Some people were stuck in a coffee shop within the restricted area and were not allowed to leave.
‘A large sheet of tarpaulin was covering people involved in the incident.’
Dakota Nicholls said he was leaving work when he saw the scene. ‘It was quite frightening because it was so close to work,’ he said.
‘I saw people in hazmat’s suits, loads of ambulances, police cars. I’ve never seen anything like that before. It was out of the ordinary.’
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: ‘Emergency services are responding to an incident in Bath.
‘At about 2.30pm a woman approached people with a bag in Stall Street, leading to some individuals then feeling unwell. The ambulance service made us aware at 3.08pm.
‘We’re not aware of any further reports of people feeling unwell.
‘As a precaution, emergency personnel are wearing protective clothing.
‘We are working with South Western Ambulance Service and Avon Fire And Rescue Service at the scene and have well-rehearsed plans for responding to such incidents.’