High street closed for two hours over stink bomb A fireman told me they were investigating a possible chemical spill and everyone should clear the area. Local Simon Hoskins, 43, said: "The smell was pretty bad in the area near the shop, but to be honest the reaction was a bit over-the-top. To close off the longest high street in the UK over a stink bomb is just overkill. I realise that people have a job to do, but surely this could have been nipped in the bud a little quicker than two hours. He added: "Imagine the chaos when the Olympics starts if a child's stink bomb can cause so many problems." A spokesman for London Fire Brigade said the substance was tested and found to be 'not harmful'. A police spokesman said: "Police were called to a property after reports of criminal damage where a small amount of non-threatening liquid had been poured on to the front steps." He said that no arrests had been made, but that investigations were 'ongoing'.