Stevenage MP Stephen McPartland has praised the emergency services who dealt with yesterday’s bomb scare in the town centre, but condemned the “idiots” who planted the hoax device.

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 and wires 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.

But afterwards police announced the device was a hoax and criticised those who planted it for causing alarm and distress to many people.

The Comet: The suspicious device was located by a member of council staff in The Forum, Stevenage.The suspicious device was located by a member of council staff in The Forum, Stevenage. (Image: Archant)

Mr McPartland told the Comet today: “I am incredibly proud of our emergency services, which reacted so quickly to contain the situation and ensure everyone was safe. We are very lucky we have the resources in Hertfordshire to deal with these type of incidents, but I have a simple message to the idiots who did this hoax.

“It is not funny, it is not clever – just grow up. Put yourself in the shoes of our emergency service personnel who had to respond to your stupid gesture. They did not know if they would be coming home alive from the incident – imagine how they felt and their families felt when they got the emergency call.”

Police are still hunting for the culprits who planted the device.

Anyone who has information about the incidents should call Herts police on 101.