Police have launched an investigation into a ’suspicious package’ that was discovered at the Isle of Man Sorting Office in Douglas.

The package, which was identified by post office workers at Spring Valley Industrial Estate, was removed by a specialist unit from the Ministry Of Defence yesterday (Thursday).

The explosive experts arrived off the morning boat and safely transported the package into a military vehicle which they brought back to England on the Steam Packet, a police spokesman said.

It is unknown what the package contained at this point.

However, police confirmed that it was not a ’biological or chemical’ substance.

The spokesman said: ’The cordon surrounding the sorting office has been removed and normal operation of the sorting office has resumed.

’Again we would like to reassure the public that the appropriate procedures for incidents of this nature were being followed and the safety of the employees of the Isle of Man Post sorting office and the general public remains our priority.’