Post date: Sep 10, 2012 2:50:14 PM
Neighbours allowed to return to their homes after bomb disposal unit is called to Surrey property owned by French Alps shooting victims.
CLAYGATE, SURREY, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 10, 2012) (REUTERS) - Surrey police said items found in the home of the home of the French Alps shooting victims on Monday (September 10) are "not hazardous", after the bomb disposal unit was called to the property in the village of Claygate, southwest of London.
Police evacuated neighbours and moved back members of the media after discovering unspecified items which caused them concern.
Local residents said there was a heavy police presence outside Hilli's 1 million pound ($1.60 million) detached house throughout the morning.
"The police said to me 'Can we use your front garden for our meeting? Because we haven't got the space that is sort of secure that we can use', so they did that and that's the garden that was next to where the bomb squad lorry was parked. And then a little bit later they knocked on the door and said 'Terribly sorry for the inconvenience. Tell us if you want to come out.' and I didn't want to come out and then about an hour later they said to me 'All clear now, we'll be leaving. Thank you for letting us use your garden'," neighbour, Brian Salmon, told journalists who were gathered at the scene.
Authorities said the bomb disposal unit was called to the scene to carry out an assessment as a precautionary measure but no danger was found.
"Surrey Police can confirm that items found at an address this morning (September 10) in Oaken Lane, Claygate, are not hazardous," the police said in a statement.
"The extension to the cordon has now been lifted and residents who were evacuated earlier as a precaution are now being allowed to return to their homes," the statement added.
Monday's search was the latest development in a shooting on a remote forest road last Wednesday (September 5) near the French village of Chevaline that has dominated media headlines in Britain and generated much speculation as to the motive.
Hilli, an Iraqi-born British engineer was shot twice in the head along with his wife, her mother, and a passing French cyclist.
His daughters, aged seven and four, survived the attack. The oldest girl Zainab, who suffered serious skull fractures, was brought out of a medically-induced coma on Sunday (September 9).
French prosecutors hope to interview her about what happened as soon as she is medically fit.
Zainab's four-year-old sister Zeena, who was found huddled under her mother's body hours after the attack, flew back to Britain with carers on Sunday.