"Dynamite" perfume bottle causes bomb scare at York hotel (From York Press)

"Dynamite" perfume bottle causes bomb scare at York hotel

9:00am Friday 1st February 2013 in News By Richard Catton, Health reporter

A PERFUME bottle designed to look like a bundle of dynamite caused a bomb scare at a city centre hotel when it was mistaken for the real thing.

The Hilton Hotel, next to Clifford’s Tower, was evacuated yesterday and the area cordoned off after staff contacted emergency services about the suspect package.

A police spokeswoman said officers were called at around 9.20am yesterday after a member of staff found a suspicious package in the ladies’ toilets.

“On attendance, officers found the package was in fact a box of toiletries made to look like sticks of dynamite with the writing TNT on the side.

“The call was made in good faith and the staff did the right thing in alerting the emergency services.”

Confirming the evacuation, a spokesman for Hilton Worldwide said the safety of its guests was of “paramount” importance.

The spokesman said the hotel reopened after about 45 minutes following a “thorough” inspection.