Bomb found outside Yorkshire council office

An improvised bomb was left outside the offices of a council at the centre of a controversy over child protection issues.

Police described the discovery of the device in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, yesterday as a "very serious incident". Officers said it was too early to speculate on a motive, but confirmed the package was "capable of exploding".

Doncaster Council said a number of different departments used the building, Concorde House, only some of which were associated with Children's Services. The device was left out the front at 2am.

Part of a nearby hotel was evacuated as an army bomb disposal team made the package safe. Some reports said the device involved a number of canisters in a bag and was spotted on a CCTV system.

Paul Hart, the council's managing director, said: "We take the safety of our staff very seriously and we have arranged for all teams who work in the buildings close to the incident to work from other areas. Our other buildings are being checked and managers have been issued with advice on what to do if they become aware of anything suspicious. We are continuing to work with the police on this incident and, through our neighbourhoods structure, our teams will be extra vigilant for any suspicious activity."