Published: May 06, 2008 10:01 pm         

London homes evacuated

Portions of KY 229, Armory Street shut down Friday

Emergency personnel shut down portions of KY 229, Armory Street and others surrounding the old National Guard Armory Friday, following an anonymous threat against an employee.

Residents were evacuated from their homes around noon.

Emergency personnel re-sponded to an anonymous threat Friday against an employee at the old National Guard Armory in London.

London Police Sgt. Derek House said officials searched the facility, but found nothing suspicious.

“Within about an hour, things were back to normal,” House said.

Because the investigation into the incident is ongoing, London Police Detective Sgt. Russell Baker would not release the nature of the threat, nor the name of the individual against whom the threat was made.

The building, which used to serve as the home of the Kentucky National Guard’s Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry, now houses a field maintenance facility.

David Altom, spokesperson for the Kentucky National Guard, said personnel at the facility perform maintenance and upkeep on National Guard vehicles. About one dozen people work at the facility. Numerous vehicles, including trucks and Humvees, are parked in a fenced-in area outside the facility.

Responding personnel in-cluded London Police, Lon-don/Laurel County Rescue Squad and Laurel County Emergency Management.