Emergency response to Newport police station

A significant response from emergency services was witnessed at Newport Police station last night (Thursday) following reports of an unknown incident.

Shortly after 7:30pm, a large number of police vehicles were seen at the rear of the station, accompanied by an unmarked fire response vehicle and an aerial platform ladder. Witnesses reported hearing alarms from within the property, and it is understood that prisoners in the holding cells were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

The situation then escalated quickly, with a further two fire engines being dispatched to the front of the police station within minutes. Fire crews were seen entering the building from the front entrance.

One eyewitness, who did not wish to be named, initially thought it was a joint training exercise due to the large number of vehicles at the rear of both the police and fire station.

However, the relocation of fire engines to the High Street, including some overtaking traffic as they rushed from Pyle Street indicated a more serious situation.

Further vehicles were then despatched to the front of the police station in the High Street. In total, at least five fire engines and a substantial number of police vehicles were present at the scene.

At the time of writing, police officers on duty at the location were unable to provide any further details about the nature of the incident. A police statement is expected later today (Friday).