Police act after ‘serious incidents’ in Scottish town of Kilmarnock

Public asked to avoid several locations but incidents not being treated as terror related

The police have asked the public on Twitter to avoid the Crosshouse Hospital. Photograph: Google Street View
The police have asked the public on Twitter to avoid the Crosshouse Hospital. Photograph: Google Street View

Police in Scotland locked down University Hospital Crosshouse and a main street in the town of Kilmarnock on Thursday as they dealt with what they said were three potentially linked serious incidents.

The first occurred outside the hospital at 7.45pm, Police Scotland said, followed by a second about 20 minutes later on Portland Street, and the third, a serious road crash, on the A76 road about 8.30pm.

“We can confirm the ongoing incidents in the Kilmarnock area are not being treated as terrorist-related,” the police said.

They said inquiries were at an early stage and the areas have been cordoned off. “There is no cause for concern for the wider community,” they added.

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Scotland’s justice minister Humza Yousaf advised the public to avoid Crosshouse Hospital and Portland Street, saying police were attending a very serious incident.

The Scottish Sun reported the hospital was locked down amid reports of stabbing.