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.
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Specialist search units and police dogs were called to the scene and it was soon discovered the suspicious item was not 'viable'. The MEN understands that the suspicious device was a taped together box containing phone and laptop chargers as well as several wires. A police officer who carried the box away said they 'wanted to be on the safe side'.
After confirming the device to be non-suspicious, cordons were quickly lifted on Great Ancoats Street and Longacre Street with staff able to go back to work. A small cordon remained on Chapeltown Street where the box remained, until it was carried away by an officer with this road opened again around 1.30pm.
GMP released a statement at this time, saying: "Cordon now lifted in the city centre. Following an incident earlier today where a suspicious device was discovered in the Great Ancoats Street area of the City Centre, we can now confirm that the device has been assessed as non-suspicious. The road closures have been lifted. We would like to thank the public for their patience and co-operation."
Residents were in shock at learning of the discovery of what they thought could be a potential bomb outside their flats, but were quickly reassured to learn that the device was 'not viable'. The workman who discovered the box also described his shock at learning the item could have been dangerous.
He said: "I sat on the fence as I always do and saw the box with wires coming out of it. I called police to be safe and when an officer came up to me saying 'did you call about the bomb' I was like what? I didn't expect that at all, then we were all told to leave."
Greater Manchester Police have been contacted for confirmation on the nature of the device. It is not known if anyone has been arrested in connection with the incident.
