Police evacuate part of Manchester city centre after ‘suspicious package’ is found on a 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.
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
Officers are in attendance and several roads have been closed with a cordon remaining in place
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
Police have urged people to avoid the area while the ongoing incident is being dealt with.
One person on Twitter said that the cordon had ‘blocked off’ from Piccadilly Gardens down to Yates.
An eyewitness reportedly told Manchester Evening News: ‘The tram stop was cordoned off – there was police tape everywhere. Piccadilly Gardens has been evacuated – mounted police are guarding the scene.’
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.’