German police looking for Potsdam 'bomb scare' perpetrator

Police in Germany have stepped up surveillance and counter terrorism security measures at Christmas markets throughout the country after the city of Potsdam was hit by a bomb scare.

Late on Friday (1 December), a Christmas market in the city was was evacuated because of a suspicious package.

Authorities said the package containing nails and an unidentified powder was destroyed in a controlled explosion.

A hunt is now underway for the sender of the package which did not appear to be a viable device, a spokesperson added.

The package was delivered to a pharmacy on the same street as the Christmas market in the centre of Potsdam, a city near the capital Berlin. Police have so far not clarified whether the store or the market was being targeted.

Germany remains on alert following a deadly truck attack at a Christmas market in downtown Berlin last December which killed 12 people. Such markets are extremely popular in Europe throughout the festive period.