Say thanks with a beer bomb

The bomb squad was called in Friday when a suspicious package was found at a police station in southern Japan. But it turns out the person who left the package had a different kind of blast in mind: the parcel contained only cans of beer.

The mysterious package was noticed at a station in Iizuka city in Fukuoka prefecture, said police spokesman Yoichi Oyama.

Police became alarmed around 1:50 p.m. when they noticed a suspicious box wrapped in newspaper that had been left inside a local police station. There was no indication that the package had been delivered in the mail, Oyama said.

Five families who live near station were evacuated, and roads in the area were also closed, Oyama said.

The bomb disposal team gingerly opened the box and found cans of beer inside, said Kazuo Hirashima, another police spokesman, adding that police immediately lifted the evacuation order and reopened the roads.

The package turned out to be a gift from a neighbourhood woman in her 80s who wanted to express her appreciation to police for addressing her safety concerns, Hirashima said.

The woman acknowledged leaving the beer after learning that her goodwill gesture instead caused trouble. Police said they did not plan to bring charges against her.