The district commander for Basingstoke has reassured residents after a man was arrested in a counter terror investigation.

The 25-year-old from Basingstoke has been arrested by counter terror officers for possessing or making explosives, possessiong of a firearm without a licence, and possessing Class A drugs.

A block of flats on Penny Black Lane, Rooksdown, has been evacuated and officers, including bomb disposal experts, are searching the block of flats.

Now, the district commander for Basingstoke has reassured residents and urged them not to speculate.

Hampshire Constabulary said that there was no wider risk to the public.

Chief Inspector Matthew Reeves, District Commander for Basingstoke and Deane, said: “I understand that this is a worrying time in the local community, thankfully incidents of this nature are relatively rare.

“We are assisting our colleagues at Counter Terrorism Policing South East and our partner agencies to address any concerns you may have.

“You may notice an increased police presence, please don’t be alarmed, officers are involved in the investigation and are there to assist and support. Please approach these officers if you have any concerns or questions.

“This is an active investigation so please refrain from speculation, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the community for their support so far with this investigation.”

A spokesperson for the British Army, who sent bomb disposal experts to Rooksdown today, has told The Gazette: "We can confirm that a British Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was called to the scene at the request of Hampshire Constabulary.

"It is an ongoing investigation so we would not be able to compromise anything by commenting further."