Police issue statement as trains suspended after 'security alert' at Chester station

Police have issued a statement after trains were suspended following a "security alert" at Chester railway station.

Services to Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport were among those affected by the incident earlier this evening (Friday). Buses were also suspended from the nearby interchange.

Several roads were shut while a police cordon was put in place. One eyewitness said there was "quite a lot of panic" among people in the area, according to Cheshire Live.

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Cheshire Police said it received "a report of suspicious activity on two buses" in Chester city centre shortly before 5.10pm. One bus was near the railway station while the other was near to the bus station.

Train lines eventually reopened at about 7pm.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Cheshire Police said: "At 5.09pm today, Friday November 22, police received a report of suspicious activity on two buses in Chester city centre. One near the train station and one near bus interchange. As a precaution, a cordon is in place and a number of roads are closed while we investigate the report."