Bomb disposal team deployed to AstraZeneca partner plant in Wales over suspicious package

A bomb disposal unit was called in to a Covid-19 vaccine production and storage plant in Wrexham, Wales after a suspicious package was found earlier. Wockhardt UK is a production partner to AstraZeneca.

The company partially evacuated the site and temporarily suspended vaccine production during the security operation, but said it would still meet the “previously approved production schedule.” 

Pictures taken at the scene showed several police vehicles outside the plant and what appeared to be a bomb disposal robot being deployed. Wockhardt later said the package had been made safe.

Footage posted to social media purportedly showed a

the bomb disposal robot in action at the site.

The Wockhardt plant has the capacity to make and store doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, and can produce around 300 million shots of the jab a year.

North Wales Police cordoned-off the industrial estate while the security operation was underway, and also closed nearby roads.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the Wrexham site in November as it prepared to start production of the AstraZeneca jab. He said the facility could provide "salvation for humanity" in the form of the Covid vaccine.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the UK Prime Minister was receiving regular updates on the situation and Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said his government was working with local police and the military.

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