The incident in Knaresborough has now been brought to a safe conclusion and police have thanked members of the public and Paragon Pizza for their cooperation and patience.
A police spokesperson said:
The incident began when North Yorkshire Police and a neighbouring police force received information that there was an immediate threat to members of the public at a business premises in Knaresborough.
Our primary concern was to ensure the safety of members of the public and an immediate response to the incident was put in place.
Following extensive and swift enquiries following the calls, officers established that the calls were in fact, malicious hoax calls.
Officers have thanked the staff and owners of Paragon Pizza – who were the target of the hoax call – for their full cooperation during this incident. The incident has caused them considerable distress.
The Major Crime Unit is now conducting an investigation into the incident to bring the person or people responsible for the malicious communications to justice. To date no-one has been arrested.
Assistant Chief Constable Paul Kennedy said:
This was a very alarming incident for members of the public and we would like to thank the communities of Knaresborough for their patience and cooperation while the police dealt with it. This includes the businesses who were affected by the safety cordons and the premises at the centre of the hoax.
We treat incidents of this nature with the utmost seriousness and can assure members of the public that a full investigation is now underway to establish who is responsible.
