Chemicals Found In Northwest London Home Not Illegal
It’s case closed on Lawson Rd. after London Police and investigators with Health Canada determined chemicals found in a home didn’t pose a safety threat.
City police were initially called to the home around 1:05 p.m. Monday after a visitor to the residence spotted chemicals in glass containers and a hot plate that looked like they were set up in a lab-type environment.
Officers and members of the London Fire Department’s HazMat team responded to Lawson Rd. to assess the scene and crews found there was no risk of explosion. The property’s electricity and gas services we
re cut off as a precaution and police guarded the scene overnight while the investigation continued.
City police say they secured a warrant to go inside the property and probe the case further. On Tuesday afternoon, investigators with Health Canada arrived on scene to take a closer look at the substances inside the home, the first time in 10 years the agency’s services had been called upon for this type of investigation.
The officials, covered from head to toe in protective gear, entered the home around 3:30 p.m. with fire crews and police standing by outside.
Shortly before 4:30 p.m. officers gave the all clear.
Cst. Ken Steeves of the London Police told reporters the chemicals found inside were not illegal and investigators found no evidence of criminal activity related to them.
Within minutes, emergency personnel began packing up equipment and moving out, breaking up the elaborate operation that involved four different agencies.
While the situation wound up not being as serious as it could have been, officers say it’s better to take a better safe than sorry approach to cases like this.
“We had to err on the side of caution and take all the potential precautions to ensure that everybody is safe. Not only the occupants within the home, the neighbours, but everybody,” Cst. Steeves said.
“So we took all the precautionary measures and did the full investigation.”
Steeves said the homeowners will now be able to return to the residence and no charges will be laid.
Reporter Jess Brady
via (CFPL AM) AM 980
