'Terrorist' scare part of scam

The M65 between Burnley and Brierfield was closed for 24 hours overnight on Thursday/Friday, last week after police found six black nylon bags containing a white powder in a car left on the eastbound hard shoulder near to Barden Lane.

Only later did tests revealed that it was just plain flour.

Police had then to consider whether it may have been intended for use in some kind of bogus drugs deal.

Supt Gary Stephenson, operations manager for the police Pennine Division said: "We are now satisfied it was not part of a drugs deal nor was it linked to terrorism.

"We believe it is part of a fraud where people have been obtaining money for what were supposed to be mini video cameras but in fact just bags filled with flour."

Supt Stephenson said the new line of inquiry was instigated as a result of someone ringing in following publicity in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

He added: "Someone came forward so we have been able to establish what we think is the true picture.

"We are confident we will be making early arrests."

Bomb disposal experts and special branch officers were called in to examine the scene. The motorway was closed in both directions and people from Springwood House Farm were evacuated.

The road closed at 8pm and reopened at 8-9am the next morning causing traffic chaos on the main road between Nelson and Burnley. Finger tip searches were made of the grass verges near the hard shoulder and the black Austin Montego, G127 FFV, was taken away for forensic examination.

The car had been bought by two men from a scrap yard in Burnley at 1pm on Thursday, November 16, and police appealed for information about its movements until the time it was abandoned.

They also appealed for information from anyone who had sold six nylon rucksack type BASE bags.

They were alerted when someone used a motorway phone to report a breakdown.

When he realised he was through to police headquarters he cut off the call and fled the scene.