A suspicious box left in some long grass caused a mass evacuation and the closure of one of the city's busiest roads earlier today. Great Ancoats Street, between Adair Street and Store Street, was closed for over an hour after a 'potentially suspicious device' was discovered on Chapeltown Street.
The device was discovered by a construction worker working on Longacre Street. The worker called the police who rushed to the scene. A cordon was quickly put in place around Great Ancoats Street, covering Chapeltown Street, Longacre Street, and Pollard Street, causing traffic chaos in the area. Dozens of police cars as well as ambulances and fire officers also attended.
Tram services that run through the area, from Ashton to Piccadilly, were also suspended while investigations were carried out. Construction workers were told to put down their tools and moved outside the cordon, with workers at surrounding businesses, including Ibis and Leonardo Hotels and Costa Coffee also evacuated.
