ANTI-terrorism detectives have been called in to investigate a series of suspect packages delivered to a court agency - including its Warrington office.

Hundreds of office workers were forced to abandon New Town House on Thursday morning last week after a suspect package was delivered to the offices of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS).

Army bomb disposal experts were alerted to the discovery - one of three reported in Cheshire that morning - but were able to secure the package without the need for a controlled explosion. CAFCASS staff were believed to have been taken to safety.

Staff from the Department of Work and Pensions, also based at the complex, were evacuated as a precaution and did not return to their desks for more than three hours.

Borough council workers, based in New Town House, were not evacuated though, after a risk assessment of the potential threat was carried out.

Currently, mystery surrounds what motivated the three Cheshire incidents. Similar packages were also delivered to CAFCASS offices in Hoole Road, Chester, and Congleton Road, Sandbach.

Elite anti-terrorist officers from Scotland Yard's SO13 division have been drafted in to probe the postal campaign. But a Scotland Yard spokesman said that because of the sheer number of incidents recorded nationwide, it was unlikely that any further comment would be made on the investigation at this time.

A CAFCASS spokesman confirmed that a number of suspicious packages were left at its offices around the country, which resulted in buildings being evacuated.

She added: "We are clear that this is an unacceptable activity which puts our staff and the families and children who visit our offices at risk and causes them distress.

"Incidents such as this obviously also get in the way of us providing an important service to families and children."