A suspect package sparked a bomb alert after it was sent to a family in Colchester.

The small envelope containing a suspicious-looking device was delivered to the home in Hall Road, Copford. When the person it was addressed to opened it, he feared it was dangerous and police were called in.

The road was sealed off and an Army bomb disposal team checked the letter, which turned out to be harmless.

It was not known why the Copford address was chosen but the letter, delivered on Monday, has been linked to 25 other packages sent to addresses in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

One man was slightly burnt when he examined a package found in a skip in Dunstable but no-one else has been injured.

An Essex Police spokesman said: "We are asking the Post Office, businesses and residents to be vigilant for anything that arrives unexpectedly in the post."

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Published Wednesday, September 8, 2004

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