This is the moment a controlled explosion was carried out by a bomb disposal robot after 'suspicious batteries' were found near a nursery in Bolton.
Emergency services, including police officers and firefighters, were scrambled to the scene on Sweetloves Lane, off Blackburn Road, at around 8am this morning (Wednesday) to reports of 'suspicious items being found'. A huge cordon - which stretched over 100m - was put in place in the area, covering Sweetloves Lane and a stretch of Blackburn Road from Holden Avenue and Stonyhurst Avenue.
Little Lambs Nursery, which was within the police cordon, was evacuated following the discovery. Bomb disposal experts were dispatched to the scene to assess the items, which the Manchester Evening News understands were batteries.
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Video footage showed the moment the disposal robot carried out a controlled explosion on the items, causing a loud bang. The clip then showed an expert bagging up the items from behind a cordon.
Police said the items were found to be non-explosive. One man, who witnessed the controlled explosion, said: "We turned up to work and the police started appearing and shouted get back. An old man walked to the alley, past it, and we shouted to the police that he was there.
"We’ve been working in and out of here for years. It’s a quiet area. It’s not something you see every day."
Another woman said: "In my 50 years here I have never seen anything like this. It’s a main road.
"There’s roadworks. It’s very normal. The police just told me I could not walk down the road. I knew nothing about it until I set off to the shops."
A spokesperson for the Little Lambs Nursery said that staff were asked to evacuate the nursery this morning. The children were taken to a nearby school and looked after by staff, the spokesperson added.
All have the children have since been collected by parents. The nursery will remain closed today, but will reopen as normal tomorrow.
The cordon was removed in the area at around 11.45am. In a statement issued this morning, a GMP spokesperson said: "Greater Manchester Police were called at around 8am today (Wednesday 22 March 2023) to Sweetloves Lane in Bolton to reports of suspicious items being found.
"Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) are currently assessing the items. A current 100m cordon is in place to ensure the safety of the public. There is believed to be no wider risk to the community."
A further statement issued at around 11.45am said: "#UPDATE | GMP can confirm the cordon placed around Sweetloves Lane this morning in #Bolton has been removed and the suspicious item, which was not an explosive, made safe by EOD.
"Officers would like to thank the local community for their co-operation and understanding on this."
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