Families living on one Wigan council estate awoke this morning to the shocking sight of an army bomb disposal team outside their homes.
People in houses around Vulcan Road, in the Marsh Green area of the town, were forced to leave their properties behind after police discovered a 'suspicious item and suspicious chemicals' inside a flat.
Officers raided the home as part of an ongoing investigation, but what they found inside caused major concern.
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A bomb disposal squad was called in, alongside firefighters, with paramedics on hold at the scene.
And, after the suspicious items were discovered at around 8.20am this morning (February 26), a large cordon was set up around the flat in question.
One family with a young child, living on nearby Heyford Road, recounted the experience of being told they would have to evacuate their home.
"We didn't really see much but the police came round about 10am this morning and at first they told us we weren't close enough to have to leave," a member of the family explained.
"But, they came back later and said things had escalated.
"They said we should leave the house."
Those that were forced from their homes were offered shelter by Wigan council at a makeship evacuation centre at nearby Robin Park Leisure Centre.
Following the police raid at the flat, officers arrested three men aged between 20 and 25 and held them in custody throughout the day for questioning.
However, at around 3.30pm, after the army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team had spent several hours investigating, authorities deemed it safe for residents to return to the area.
"I didn't know what was happening until police suddenly arrive outside - it was really scary," one resident who lives just outside the cordon told the MEN.
"I did see them putting one man in the back of the van. They told us we weren't to go out and kept us inside until it was over."
Another added: "We were pretty scared. It's unusual for things like this to happend around here.
"But we were out when it first happened so I didn't see much."
Police have moved to reassure residents and thank them for their help during the evacuation.
Superintendent Mark Kenny of GMP's Wigan district: "I want to extend me thanks and gratitude to the community, particularly those who had to be evacuated earlier today, for their patience and support as we have carried out our enquiries.
"I would also like to thank our partner agencies who have supported us through both the investigation and with the evacuation. Their assistance has been hugely instrumental in ensuring this happened as swiftly and with as minimal disruption as possible.
"Again, I should reiterate that we do not believe there to be any wider threat to the community and our investigation remains very much ongoing."
