153 properties around Becket Road in Worle were evacuated after police found suspicious items in a fraud arrest. Bomb disposal destroyed them; the cordon stays.

Updated 22:00, Wednesday 30 September.

A total of 153 properties have been evacuated in and around Becket Road in Worle. Police found suspicious substances and items while searching a house after a fraud arrest on Wednesday afternoon.

By 10pm, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit had tested and destroyed some suspicious items. Searches are still going on and the cordon remains in place.

All of this comes from Avon and Somerset Police’s own statement, which the force has updated through the evening.

What the police have said

The force says officers arrested a man, aged 70, “on suspicion of fraud by false representation” in Becket Road on Wednesday afternoon. It describes the arrest as part of an ongoing investigation into fraud offences.

During searches of the property, officers found “some suspicious substances and items”. The force has not said what they were.

In its words, the next steps were:

  • a 100m cordon put in place “as a precautionary safety measure”
  • homes inside the cordon evacuated
  • the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit called to the scene

The unit arrived at about 7.30pm. The force says it was delayed by the evacuation. It then began “conducting enquiries within an address”.

At 9pm the force gave the scale for the first time: 153 properties displaced. At 10pm it said suspicious items “have been tested and destroyed” by the unit.

Timeline of the Becket Road incident on 30 September 2026 from Avon and Somerset Police updates: afternoon arrest of a 70-year-old man on suspicion of fraud by false representation and a 100m cordon; 16:54 first statement, homes evacuated; 19:30 bomb disposal unit arrives; 21:00 153 properties displaced and a refuge centre set up with North Somerset Council; 22:00 suspicious items tested and destroyed, searches continue and the cordon stays.
How the evening unfolded, from the force's own updates. Graphic by The North Somerset Post
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Where evacuated residents stand

The police say they are working with North Somerset Council so that people who have had to leave have “suitable support in place”. Evacuated residents are being kept updated at a refuge centre. The force’s statement does not name the building.

Anyone who has gone to stay with family or friends is asked to follow the force’s statement page or its X account, @ASPolice, for updates.

The force has not said when people will be able to go home. It says it is working “hard and at pace” to resolve the situation “as quickly and as safely as possible”.

What it means for you

  • If you live inside the cordon, do not try to return until the police say so. Updates will come on the force’s page first.
  • If you are staying with friends or family, the force has asked you to keep checking its page or @ASPolice rather than going back to look.
  • If you live nearby but outside the cordon, the police have not asked anyone else to leave. Expect a police presence around Becket Road while the cordon is in place.
  • The arrest is not a charge. The man has been arrested on suspicion of an offence. The force’s statement does not say anyone has been charged.

Becket Road is in North Worle, on the eastern side of Weston-super-Mare. Separately, the council’s works on Worle High Street start on Monday; we covered the road changes that begin on 5 October. Our roadworks and travel page carries the wider picture.

We will update this page when the force publishes more, including when the cordon is lifted.