PARTS of Chepstow town centre were cordoned off by police on Monday afternoon following reports of a “suspicious device” found at a hotel - which turned out to be a small firework left by a guest.

Gwent Police has now lifted the cordon after it confirmed that the device was not thought to be dangerous and was disposed of.

It’s understood that both the force and an Army EOD unit were at the scene of the incident at the George Hotel - one of the town's most recognisable buildings - for serveral hours, on Moor Street. 

Locals took to social media to express their concern after noticing a police presence in the town early on Monday afternoon.

Shortly after, it was confirmed that police had cordoned off a number of roads, including parts of Moor Street, High Street, Welsh Street and Hardwick Avenue.

South Wales Argus: A number of roads - including High Street - were cordoned off in the town.A number of roads - including High Street - were cordoned off in the town.

Chepstow Bus Station was also closed for some time before it reopened shortly after 5.15pm.

In the interests of safety, a number of properties near to the George Hotel were evacuated while officers carried out their investigation.

Speculation around what the device was began to grow on social media, with a number of unconfirmed reports at the time suggesting the device may be a firework or a smoke bomb.

The George Hotel also took to social media to confirm police were at the property and said that they were responding to concerns around a “firework/smoke bomb”.

A spokesperson for the hotel said: "A guest left a small firecracker/smoke bomb about 2 inches long.

"It had no writing or label on it and when it was discovered it was called in to the police who advised us to evacuate the building and they called the bomb squad to be in the safe side."

South Wales Argus: The George Hotel is one of Chepstow's most recognisable buildings. (Google Maps)The George Hotel is one of Chepstow's most recognisable buildings. (Google Maps)

Gwent Police said: "The cordon in Chepstow, that had been put up following the report of a suspicious device at a building in Moor Street, has now been taken down.

"After further examination, by the army’s explosive ordnance disposal unit (EOD), it was confirmed not to be dangerous and was taken away to be disposed of."

Chief Superintendent Tom Harding said: "I’d like to thank the community for their patience and understanding as we worked with our partners to ensure the safety of everyone in the area."