UPDATE: 'suspicious item' was in fact a small pot of paint

Two houses had to be evacuated after a 'suspicious item' was found in a St Albans street on Saturday.

Officers from explosive ordnance disposal were called to Gurney Court Road at about 3.12pm following reports that a suspicious item had been discovered.

As a precaution two adjoining houses were evacuated. The device was deemed safe by the EOD and removed by police. 

The incident has been passed over to Kent Police for further investigation.