The bomb squad was scrambled to two incidents 13 miles apart following reports of 'suspicious items' just hours apart in Greater Manchester. Army personnel rushed to scenes in Oldham and Bolton following emergency calls on Wednesday (March 22).
Separate cordons were erected. One incident, it was later revealed, was prompted by the discovery of 'suspicious batteries'. The other was sparked by a 'commercial firework'.
During both incidents, people were told to stay inside their homes.
