Major police presence in Piccadilly Gardens as blood-spattered Metrolink stop taped off

Police have taped off the Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink stop tonight as part of a large response to an incident in the town centre.

The stop was closed to the public at around 7.30pm tonight (March 19) and services are not allowing passengers on or off in the area. A cordon remains in place around the platform.

While officers are yet to reveal the nature of the incident, it did prompt a large response. Police have been at the scene for some time.

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Pictures from the scene show the police cordon, with tape at either end of the platform. One image, which the MEN has not published, shows a pool of blood on the floor in the tram stop.

A police van was also parked in front of the tram stop. The MEN has approached GMP for more information on this incident.

No services were allowed to stop on the tram platform (ASP)

While the sun was still out, Piccadilly Gardens was packed with people enjoying an unusually warm March day. The area is also currently hosting Manchester's Irish Weekender, with events being held at a pop-up centre until tomorrow (March 20).

In a tweet, a spokesperson for the Metrolink warned passengers to avoid using the Piccadilly Gardens stop. It said: "Due to a police incident, there are no services stopping at Piccadilly Gardens until further notice.

Police remained at the scene throughout the evening (ASP)

"Please use nearby Piccadilly, Market Street or St. Peter's Square. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to your journey this evening"