Police seal off Manchester city centre and call in bomb squad after ‘suspicious package’ is found on bus
- Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester was evacuated at around 1.15pm this afternoon
- Police confirmed they were called to reports of a ‘suspicious item’ found on a bus
- Manchester and Wigan Stagecoach said buses would not leave from the station
Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester has been evacuated after a ‘suspicious package’ was found on a bus, police said.
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that they were called to reports that a ‘suspicious item’ was found on a bus at 1.15pm today.
Officers are in attendance and several roads have been closed with a cordon remaining in place.
Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester has been evacuated after a ‘suspicious package’ was found on a bus, police confirmed
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that they were called to reports that a ‘suspicious item’ was found on a bus at 1.15pm today
A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: ‘Police are currently responding to an incident in the city centre.
‘The bus has been evacuated as a precaution and a cordon remains in place.
‘Enquiries are ongoing.’
Manchester and Wigan Stagecoach also confirmed that services that normally use Piccadilly Gardens bus station on Parker Street are being diverted.
They said: ‘All services that would normally use Parker Street (Piccadilly Gardens bus station) will start the routes from Portland Street (Outside Yates). The services will operate on a load and go basis.
‘This is due to a Police incident. Sorry if this affects your journey with us today.
There are also no Metrolink services operating through Piccadilly or Market Street, with trams operating from Exchange Square instead, Manchester Metrolink said.
Greater Manchester Police have urged people to avoid the area while the ongoing incident is being dealt with
Manchester councillor Pat Karney wrote on Twitter that crowds had ‘been pushed back from Piccadilly’ while four ambulances were among emergency services in attendance
Transport for Greater Manchester said on Twitter: ‘Due to a Police Incident Parker Street, Piccadilly is closed.
‘Congestion expected on Portland St, please use an alternative route if possible.’
Pictures and videos of the scene have been shared on Twitter, including a number of posts from Manchester councillor Pat Karney.
He said that crowds had ‘been pushed back from Piccadilly’ while four ambulances were among emergency services in attendance.
He tweeted: ‘Suspicious Package on a bus in Piccadilly.
‘Major incident response.’
Police have urged people to avoid the area while the ongoing incident is being dealt with.
Officers are in attendance and several roads have been closed with a cordon remaining in place
Transport for Greater Manchester said that Piccadilly has closed following the incident. No buses or Metrolink services are operating in the area
Councillor Pat Karney said: ‘There are four ambulances, numerous police vehicles, a helicopter. All the emergency services. It’s a major incident.
‘The bus station is cordoned off and all the shops have been emptied. People can’t cross Piccadilly so there’s a big crowd on Minshull Street.
‘The crowds are being pushed back, they are obviously taking every precaution.’
One person on Twitter said that the cordon had ‘blocked off’ the roads from Piccadilly Gardens down to Yates.