A teenage boy has been arrested after spraying people with chilli oil at a Costco in Bristol. Police were called to the superstore in Avonmouth at around 6.30pm on Monday following reports of a chemical incident. The store was evacuated while the incident was investigated, and a boy was arrested on suspicion of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and administering a noxious substance. Avon and Somerset Police said 10 people, including the boy, complained of stinging or itchy eyes and skin, but ‘responded well to treatment’ at the scene.
The liquid is believed to be a type of home-made chilli spray with no strong acid or alkaline ingredients and was ‘found to be unharmful’, Avon Fire and Rescue Service said. One shopper said: ‘There was a chemical attack on someone and the police were treating it as a terrorist attack. ‘I and 100+ people got locked in and weren’t allowed out while they looked into it.’. Police left the scene at about 9pm.
The force has appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them on 101. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
