Emergency services stormed a quiet Salford street after objects believed to be grenades were found inside a terraced house. Dozens of residents were evacuated from Bridgewater Street, in Little Hulton, as the bomb squad was called out to assess the scene today (October 26).
Police were called out at 11am and taped off the street in the early afternoon, urging residents to flee their homes. Fire crews and ambulances also rushed out to the scene, off Manchester Road East.
As the hours ticked on, residents were eager to return. Cheryl Platt stood patiently by the police tape alongside her dog Ella.
She told the Manchester Evening News : "I got a knock on the door, I was asked to evacuate the house. I'm waiting to get back in with my dog - they said it could be about three hours.
"Someone came and gave us some water, they've been really kind to us. Everyone helps one another around here."
Greater Manchester Police said residents had been forced to evacuate as a safety precaution ahead of a visit from bomb squad experts. But by 2.20pm the cordon was lifted, while a number of officers remained outside the house where the 'grenades' had been found.
David Fallows, who lives across the road from the house where investigations were focused, was pleased to be back quicker than expected. "They knocked on the door and said 'you need to evacuate'," he said.
"They said when we came out we had to go to the left, we couldn't move the cars or anything. The only place we could go to was a neighbour's on Manchester Road, so that's where we went.
"We had a brew, came out, spoke to one of the PCSOs. She got on the phone then said we were fine to come back in. The police have done a great job - no problems, no fuss, no panic. I can't fault them."
Another neighbour, Nathaniel Lynch, added: "I had to come back from work early because I wasn't sure how long it would take. I had to get my dog from the house. But it was dealt with a lot quicker than what I was initially told."
While most residents had fled their homes, not all followed the police's instructions. One man, who asked to remain anonymous, recalled the moment police approached his door.
"Everyone got a knock," he said. "I told them to f*** off, I'm not going out of my property. They closed the road off, there were about 40 cops. They wouldn't let anyone walk down the road - it was a bit of a p*** take."
GMP has been approached for further information following the evacuation.
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