Armed police were called to Stevenage railway station yesterday after reports that a man was acting suspiciously nearby.

Officers from the British Transport Police and the Herts force attended and made a search of the area, after a call from a member of the public came in at 4.41pm.

The man in question was quickly located and searched by officers who found everything to be in order, with the ‘suspicious’ item turning out to be a sandwich inside a carrier bag.

A police spokeswoman praised the caller for acting on their instinct at a time of ‘heightened security’, following a series of terrorism attacks in France and elsewhere.

They said: “While this may sound light-hearted, our thanks go to the vigilant member of the public who – concerned by what they saw – had the sense to ring the police who could take swift action.

“We would urge anyone else who is suspicious or concerned about anything they see or hear to do the same thing and contact us. At a time of heightened security the public has a crucial role to play in supporting the police in helping to keep our communities safe.”