A man has appeared in court after a suspicious package was sent to a Covid vaccine factory, forcing the plant to be evacuated.

Anthony Collins was arrested following a raid on his Chatham home after the device was received at the Wrexham facility on Wednesday.

Production was suspended at the site used by Wockhardt, a supply partner of AstraZeneca, after the package was discovered.

Army bomb disposal teams were called to the factory which fills doses of the vaccine filled into vials before it is distributed.

Soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corps were brought in by North Wales Police to examine the package before sending it off for analysis.

A police spokesman revealed that the item "was not a viable device", meaning it would not have been able to explode.

Collins, 53, was arrested by detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate during joint raids in Chatham Hill and Luton Road.

"The safety of our employees and business continuity remains of paramount importance"

He has since been charged with dispatching an article by post with the intention of inducing the belief it is likely to explode or ignite.

Medway magistrates today remanded him in custody to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday, February 26.

In a statement on Wednesday, Wockhardt said the company's production schedule had not been affected and staff returned to work after evacuating some of its staff from the factory.

A spokesman for the company said: “Wockhardt UK in Wrexham received a suspicious package.

“All relevant authorities were immediately notified and engaged. Upon expert advice we have partially evacuated the site pending a full investigation. The safety of our employees and business continuity remains of paramount importance.”

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