Herts Police called to 'chemical attack' in Watford

Officers were helped by the East of England Ambulance Service and fire crews following the incident in Whippendell Road at around 5.40pm on Saturday (May 11).

A man in his 40s reportedly entered a café in the road claiming he had been assaulted with a “suspected chemical agent”, which saw police cordon off the area for several hours.

Firefighters with breathing equipment entered the cafe to remove the injured man before he was passed over to the ambulance service. (Image: Cllr Nigel Bell)

Firefighters wearing breathing gear removed the person from the café and gave him to the ambulance service's hazardous area response team. 

"We thought he was dying" - Read our interview with the cafe owner here.

Specialist police officers from the Detection Identification and Monitoring team also attended to identify the alleged chemical used and investigations proved “inconclusive”.

Whippendell Road and the areas around it were cordoned off by police for several hours (Image: Contribution)

The man was taken to hospital for further assessment and treatment, where he is in a “stable” condition and his injuries were deemed not life-threatening.

The road was closed until around 9.30pm and police have said it is believed to be an isolated incident.

It is not known if there have been any arrests. Police have been contacted for more information.

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An eyewitness said the junction with Durban Road west was “swarming with police” as officers closed the area for around 100 metres in either direction.

Some residents were unable to return home due to the police cordon. (Image: Contribution)

Some people were unable to get to their houses while residents were advised to stay inside and close their windows.

Nigel Bell, county councillor for West Watford, thanked the emergency services for their “swift and professional service” following the incident.

He added: “I am pleased that the situation was dealt with so quickly and efficiently and it shows the interoperability across all our services and the first class communication and working together.”