A CORDON has been lifted after a bomb disposal squad was called to an Edinburgh mosque due to “suspicious bags” which caused the area to be evacuated.
Earlier on Tuesday, images were published showing bomb disposal personnel attending the scene on Potterow in Edinburgh.
The Edinburgh Central Mosque issued a statement that read: "We will be closed today for the next few hours and until further notice.
"This is due to a couple of bags that we discovered inside the premises early this morning.
"The police have been notified about the bags and following a review of CCTV, they have advised that we evacuate the building and stop any activities until they have removed the bags.
"We do not know at this moment how long the process could take, however, will post another update as soon as the bags have been removed and the police have concluded that it is safe to reopen the building."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 9.30am on Tuesday, 3 January, police were called to a report of a suspicious item found within a Mosque on Potterrow, Edinburgh.
“A cordon was put in place as a precaution. The EOD attended and carried out a controlled explosion, however it has been established that the item posed no risk to the public and was innocent in nature.
“The cordon has now been lifted.
“Police would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding as officers attended the scene.”
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