The “suspicious” coffee cup object which caused officers to cordon off a large section of Stevenage town centre this morning was not a viable device, police have said.

The Comet: Traffic at the corner of St George's Way, Six Hills Way and the A602 in Stevenage after roads were closed during the bomb scare. Picture: Jeremy WilliamsTraffic at the corner of St George's Way, Six Hills Way and the A602 in Stevenage after roads were closed during the bomb scare. Picture: Jeremy Williams (Image: Archant)

Officers cordoned off streets around The Forum after the device – which consisted of a polystyrene coffee cup with microchips attached – was found in the car park near TK Maxx shortly before 9am.

A police cordon was put in place as a bomb disposal team was called in to detonate the device.

They carried out a controlled explosion just before 11.20am, and the cordon and road closures were then lifted in stages.

Herts police has issued an update in the past half hour saying: “The report came into us as a coffee cup with protruding wires found by a member of the public in the car park in The Forum.

The Comet: Fire crews on standby next to Fairlands Way. Picture: SubmittedFire crews on standby next to Fairlands Way. Picture: Submitted (Image: Archant)

“Public safety remained paramount throughout the operation and there has been no injuries as a result of swift intervention by the police.”

Inspector James Lant, from the Stevenage intervention and response team, said: “Our local crime unit has now launched an investigation into this incident and I can confirm that this was not a viable device, although it gave the impression of being so.

“The motivation behind the placement of the device is still unclear at this stage and this will form part of our enquiries.

“Despite its size, if it had been a viable device it could have had the potential to cause serious injury.

“Therefore we would like to thank the member of the public who called us - they made the right decision and we would always encourage anyone with concerns around a suspicious object or package to make contact with us as soon as possible.

“We would also like to thank the public for their patience around the cordons and road closures which allowed us to deal with the incident and ensure their safety.

“If you have any information that could prove useful to our investigation, please call 101 and quote ISR 124 of September 27. You could hold vital evidence.”