"Police are currently at Racecourse Road in North Melbourne after a man was located with an unknown device about 10 am [...] A 25-year-old man has been arrested and Bomb Response Unit officers are conducting a safety check", Melbourne police said in a statement.
We're at Racecourse Rd, North Melbourne after a man was located with an unknown device.
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) 26 September 2019
A 25-year-old man has been arrested and Bomb Response Unit officers are conducting a safety check.
Racecourse Rd has been blocked to traffic and trams between Flemington Rd and Boundary Rd. pic.twitter.com/Y38zA0Kkto
According to media reports, special police squads were called to Racecourse Road, near the Royal Melbourne Show, which was crammed with families and children enjoying school holidays.
Businesses in the area were reportedly evacuated and traffic between Flemington Road and Boundary Road has been diverted.
Local media reported that bomb units were called in after the man - who carried an imitation of explosive device in his backpack- tried to steal a vehicle from a car wash.
CITIZEN’S ARREST: 15 car wash workers have helped arrest a 25yo man who tried to steal a Mercedes. The bomb squad was called in because of a suspicious item found in his backpack - it was an imitation explosives device. @10NewsFirstMelb @10Daily pic.twitter.com/JCJ2hgiiX5
— Annie Kearney (@anniemaykearney) 26 September 2019
The police subsequently issued an update, saying that they had declared the area safe and re-opened the road.