Police issue update after 'suspicious item' found on bus passenger

A man who was arrested after a 'suspicious item' was found in Old Trafford has been released on bail, police have confirmed.

Officers were first called to a 'disturbance' on a bus on Stretford Road at around 6.45pm on Wednesday night (April 19). A man had refused to pay the driver for his ticket.

Officers took the man into a police car and uncovered the 'suspicious item' in his bag. The 22-year-old was arrested and taken into custody to be quizzed by detectives.

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Bomb disposal units were scrambled to the scene and a cordon was put in place on a stretch of Stretford Road between Clifton Street and Chorlton Road.

Fire crews also responded to the incident. Members of the public were urged to avoid the area.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the item was deemed to be viable. In an update issued this morning, a Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said the man who was arrested had been bailed pending further investigations.

In a statement, the spokesperson said: "At around 6:45pm on Wednesday, 19 April, 2023, Greater Manchester Police were called to Stretford Road following a disturbance on a public bus.

"Emergency services attended the scene and a 22-year-old male was arrested and taken into custody for further questioning. Since then, the male has been granted police bail pending further investigation."

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