A POLICE hunt is under way for the hoaxer who sparked a major emergency services alert by sending a suspect device to an East Cowes holiday park.

An Army bomb disposal squad joined police, firefighters and paramedics at Waverley Park on Tuesday morning after what police said was an elaborate hoax device - a battery and wires in a biscuit tin - was sent to a mobile home resident.

Surrounding homes were evacuated and the area cordoned off before a controlled explosion confirmed the parcel was a hoax bomb.

Newport CID is now investigating.

A police spokesman said: "It was a seriously misjudged hoax especially in the current climate."