Asda House, the supermarket chain’s headquarters on Great Wilson Street in central Leeds, was cleared on Monday after West Yorkshire Police received a report of a suspicious package shortly after 11:15 GMT, the force said.
What police confirmed
Officers said the item was delivered to the building and that staff were evacuated as a precaution. Emergency crews established a cordon around Asda House and nearby junctions, and the force requested support from an army explosive ordnance disposal team to examine the package.
Police asked the public to avoid the area while specialists worked and told motorists to use alternative routes because several roads feeding the office block were closed. As of late morning, authorities had not classified the item as safe, and the force had not released details about its size, sender, or whether any threatening message accompanied it.
Impact on the site
Asda, which is owned by the Issa brothers and private equity partner TDR Capital, employs thousands of staff across Yorkshire. The Leeds campus houses corporate teams that oversee pricing, supply, and store operations for one of Britain’s largest grocery chains. A prolonged cordon could disrupt meetings with suppliers and finance staff who normally work on site Mondays.
Nearby businesses on Wellington Street and along the Aire riverside reported foot traffic diverted away from the complex. BBC journalists at the scene described multiple police vehicles and later sightings of military EOD wagons entering the secured perimeter.
How the chain has responded
Asda has not issued a detailed public statement beyond acknowledging that the building was evacuated. Retail analysts said the episode was unlikely to affect store trading because distribution centers and supermarkets operate separately from the head office, though any extended closure could delay internal approvals on promotions or IT projects scheduled for this week.
West Yorkshire Police said updates would be posted on its social channels as the examination progressed. In past UK retail incidents involving mailed threats, forces have sometimes kept cordons in place for several hours while forensic teams document parcels, a timeline that security consultants said businesses should plan for even when packages turn out to be harmless.
What happens next
If EOD officers determine the item is not dangerous, police typically shrink the cordon and allow staff to return floor by floor after a sweep for secondary devices. If technicians dispose of the parcel on site, investigators may open a criminal inquiry into who sent it. Companies often review mail-screening procedures after such scares, especially at high-profile HQs in city centers.
Monday’s incident unfolded while Parliament was on a short November recess and while retailers were preparing for the busy year-end trading period. For Asda, the priority will be confirming that no other sites received similar deliveries before reopening Asda House to full staff strength.