A bomb disposal unit was called to a residential area of March as part of a sting team of emergency services who arrested a man in his 40s on suspicion of making explosive devices.

The operation was carried out following a call from a member of the public.

An onlooker told how two incident response units, ambulance, police and a fire engine, alongside bomb disposal experts, waited for around six hours before moving in to arrest the man in Badgeney Road.

The eye witness said: “We saw the vehicles arrive and calmly park up in Cornerstone GP car park at about 6pm.

“We kept watching from time to time as we thought it must be something big going on for so many emergency services to turn out.

“At that point we had not seen the bomb disposal team, just police, ambulance and later fire crew. They were still there at 3am.

“However by about 11pm we assumed it was a training exercise. How wrong we were.”

Police confirmed that they arrived at the doctor’s car park in Elwyn Road a few hours earlier than the arrest which was made at 12.30am.

A spokesman said: “The time we were called is earlier but there was a proactive response from 12.30am at the location of the incident. “Emergency services were called to a suspicious incident in Badgeney Road, March at about 12.30am (October 9).

“The road was closed in both directions as a precaution and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal were called to the scene.

“A man in his 40s from March has been arrested on suspicion of making explosive substances under suspicious circumstances.”

Across social media people have reported seeing unusual police activity in Chatteris and are saying it is connected but the spokesman added: “We are not aware of any related activity in Chatteris.”