Around 20 properties were evacuated as a precaution
18:45, 02 Feb 2026Updated 18:47, 02 Feb 2026
Police at the scene on Douglas Road in Anfield
Army bomb disposal officers were called to a road in Anfield for the second day in a row after further bags of “suspicious white powder” were discovered at a property linked to an investigation into human remains.
Merseyside Police closed Douglas Road at around 1.45pm on Monday, February 2, after officers conducting an extensive forensic search at a house found additional quantities of the substance. Around 20 nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution, with blue police tape pulled across the entrance to the road.
The Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team attended the scene and removed the powder for further examination. Police said it was determined a controlled explosion was need and the powder was safely disposed.
Police were also called to the same address on Sunday, February 1, at around 2.30pm, after a quantity of white powder was discovered during forensic enquiries. On that occasion, the EOD team removed the substance, which was taken to open land and destroyed in a controlled explosion.
An EOD van was escorted from the scene at speed by three Matrix vehicles at around 4.30pm. The road was reopened a short time later, and a mobile police station remained outside the house in question.
An army disposal unit at the scene
Forensic officers have been at the Douglas Road address for more than three weeks as part of a wider investigation launched after human remains were discovered at a flat in Gerards Court, St Helens, on January 8. Merseyside Police has confirmed the enquiries are connected.
In a statement issued on Monday, a police spokesperson said: “We can confirm that a cordon has been lifted on Douglas Street, in Anfield, after a suspicious substance was safely removed from a house.
“Several bags of white powder were found today (Monday 2 February) inside an address as part of an ongoing investigation. As a result, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team attended to remove and test the substance.
“It was determined that a controlled explosion was not required on this occasion and the powder has now been safely disposed.”
Residents told the ECHO they were given little information before being asked to leave their homes.
Police stand guard at the cordon on Douglas Road, Anfield
Andrew Robinson, 57, said: “I was upstairs painting and my wife answered the door. The police officer said they’d found an ‘item of concern’ and that they had to evacuate five houses on both sides of the road. We went for a long walk, and as we came back around to the top of the road we saw the bomb squad.
“I asked them what it was, but no-one told us anything. Some of the police, their attitude was poor. They never rang us to tell us we could go back home.”
Mr Robinson also claimed neighbours had been left unsettled by the lack of information. He said a meeting had now been arranged for neighbours.
He added: “What happened proves that there’s stuff in there that we should have been told about. I want to know if it’s safe to walk past that place, or if it’ll go pop.”
Another Douglas Road resident, John Owens, 45, said: “We went through all of this yesterday and they won’t tell you what’s going on. They just said you’ve got to go.
“I feel safe in my home, but we want to know more. Was it a bomb or stuff to make a bomb? It makes you unsettled.”
A parent of a child at nearby Anfield Road Primary School said: “They’ve been there for weeks, and my son is only six. He’s seeing police in hazmat suits and it’s unnerving.”
Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson said: “Residents who were evacuated for their own safety have now been allowed to return. We would like to thank them for their patience while emergency services dealt with the incident.
“We don’t take a decision to evacuate residents lightly and we appreciate it must be difficult for those affected, particularly if children or elderly residents live in the house.
“We are under no illusion as to how disruptive the last two days would have been to residents. However, the safety of the public is paramount and we will always take the necessary action to protect our communities.
“The ongoing police presence on Douglas Street is in connection with an investigation into the discovery of human remains in a flat in Gerrards Court, St Helens on January 8 and we will continue to search the premises until we are satisfied all evidential opportunities have been captured.”
Police have also been in attendance at a third location, on Moss Bank in St Helens, linked to the investigation into the discovery of human remains. A police evidence tent had previously been erected in front of a garage, while a vehicle and disused boat were inside a cordon.
George Gordon, 65, of Gerards Court, St Helens, has been charged with preventing lawful and decent burial of a dead body and obstructing a coroner in the execution of their duty. He appeared in court on January 12.