Wellington College: Controlled explosion at school science department

A controlled explosion has been carried on a substance at a Belfast school's science department.

Police and fire crews were called to Wellington College in the south of the city shortly before midday on Wednesday.

Staff and about 770 pupils were evacuated and Carolan Road, off Ormeau Road, was closed off for a time but has since re-opened.

Emergency services spent just over two hours making the scene safe.

A spokesperson for the school said the emergency services were contacted when a routine check found a change in the composition of an approved chemical used for A-level science experiments.

"Following this discovery, immediate action was taken by the school to notify the relevant authorities who worked closely with the school to ensure the safe disposal of the chemical," they said.

The chemical was stored in a chemical store in the school science department but it was detonated on the school playing fields.

Principal David Castles said the safety of pupils was "always our main priority".

He said he was "delighted" students were able to return to class before the end of the school day.

Police confirmed a controlled explosion was carried out and the substance had been removed.

They said they were not treating the incident as anything untoward.

Parents from a nearby primary school said they collected children early as a result of the incident and motorists were also advised to avoid the area for a time.