SWAT team and bomb squad end seven-hour standoff outside Heyward property after realising no-one is home

Authorities has been called to serve a tenant eviction notice

The SWAT team outside of the property in Hayward

A SWAT team and bomb disposal unit were forced to call off a seven hour stand-off outside a house after realising no-one was home.

Alameda County Sheriff’s department in Hayward, California, had been called to serve an eviction notice to a tenant at 10am local time on Tuesday.

When officers entered the home, they discovered suspicious notes suggesting there could have been explosives inside the property, KTVU reports.

“Upon arrival and entering the home, they saw some suspicious notes that made them concerned for their safety,” Hayward police Sgt. Mark Ormsby told NBC Bay Area. “They immediately backed out of the home and contacted their bomb squad and our special response unit.”

Police responded by calling a bomb disposal squad, canines and SWAT team to the scene. In the following hours, robots were used to search the house and some neighbours in the surrounding areas were evacuated.

The street was also blocked off as officers surrounded the house. KTVU reported seeing snipers “in position and ready to go if needed” as authorities shouted for the tenant to come out of the property.

Finally, at 5.30pm that day, officers determined the property was empty and there were no explosives inside.

The tenant of the home has not yet been identified by police.