Bomb scare? Police recover explosive device outside Brad Haddin's house: report
Sydney: Australian police said Saturday they were investigating after a suspicious item, reportedly an improvised explosive device, was found near the Sydney home of cricketer Brad Haddin.
A New South Wales police spokeswoman said it was found on a grassy patch of road in the suburb of Tennyson Point in northwest Sydney.
"Officers... located and removed a suspicious item which was located on the nature strip, not the front yard, and it will be forensically examined," she told AFP.
"Inquiries are continuing."
Police were unable to give any further details but the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said it understood that authorities removed two butane canisters with a wick attached. There were indications that an attempt had been made to light it, the ABC added.
EXCLUSIVE: Explosive device found outside Sydney property owned by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin http://t.co/gQBOnbcWBg
— ABC News (@abcnews) July 17, 2015Cricket Australia said Haddin, 37, who pulled out of the second Ashes Test against England on Tuesday for family reasons, was still overseas.
"He is safe with his family in the UK," a spokesman told Australian Associated Press.
Skipper Michael Clarke has said he expected Haddin, who is staying on tour, to feature again in the series.
It was not the first time Haddin has withdrawn for family reasons. In 2012 he took several months out of the game after his then 17-month-old daughter Mia was diagnosed with neuroblastoma -- a rare form of cancer.
As his daughter's condition improved, Haddin returned to international cricket during Australia's losing 2013 Ashes tour of England.
The wicketkeeper reportedly bought the house in 2010 for Aus$3.05 million.
Cricket Australia on Saturday reported that the New South Wales police found explosive device outside a property owned by Brad Haddin.
JUST IN: Police investigating explosive device found near Brad Haddin's Sydney property: http://t.co/z9iyFj3BRg pic.twitter.com/6kNyb7ZsUM
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) July 18, 2015UPDATE: @nswpolice say explosive device NOT linked to Haddin. Details: http://t.co/z9iyFj3BRg pic.twitter.com/x7RcorWCnq
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) July 18, 2015John Duncan, Ryde Local Area Command Superintendent, said in a statement, “There is nothing at this time to indicate this incident is anything other than random. The item is not sophisticated.”
He added, “All the indications at this stage of our investigation suggest that whoever had possession of this item has discarded it on the nature strip.”
"I urge anyone with information about unusual or suspicious activity in the area yesterday to contact police or Crime Stoppers immediately,” he concluded.
Cricket Australia quoted Duncan saying, “A neighbour had first noticed the device on the nature strip in front of Haddin's waterfront Tennyson Point address. The neighbour had gone to throw it in the bin but became concerned and contacted police, who removed it for forensic analysis.”
