Two men have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences after police raided a home in Manchester.
Officers went to the property in Whitefield, Greater Manchester, following reports of suspicious items being found made shortly before 11.25am on Monday.
Examinations at the scene, which has been cordoned off, have not revealed anything which appears to be explosives but two men in their 20s were arrested under the Terrorism Act (2000).
Police officers and a bomb squad showed up to the property in Whitefield, Greater Manchester
A bomb disposal van was seen outside the house before neighbours were evacuated
A bomb disposal van showed up to the address and neighbours were evacuated from the area.
Tracey Donnelly, 55, said she has opened her house as a refuge for relocated neighbours.
She said: ‘It is scary. You don’t expect it to be on your front doorstep.
‘The bomb squad is here, streets have been shut off and people have been evacuated.
A member of the bomb squad puts on a protective suit before entering the house
Two men in their 20s were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences and are being questioned
‘It is understood around six properties in the vicinity of the house where the items were found have been evacuated.’
A cordon has also been put in place as a precaution.
Superintendent Rick Jackson, from GMP’s Bury borough, said: ‘We have to take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and always at the forefront of our mind is making sure our communities are safe.
Neighbours have been evacuated from the area after officers found ‘suspicious’ items. Both men were arrested on suspicion of terror offences
‘The examinations will continue into this evening and any updates will be shared as soon as we are able to.
‘We have to keep a cordon in place solely as a precaution for those living in the immediate area and we will continue to work with partners to support those affected.
‘We are keeping an open mind in relation to this incident but in these circumstances we know the public would expect us to be thorough with our enquiries.
‘I want to reassure people that we have specialist detectives investigating this report to establish the full facts.
‘There will be lots of officers in the area and if you have any concerns then please speak to them and they will try and assist in any way they can.’
Anyone who has been evacuated from inside the cordon, and is struggling to find accommodation support, should contact 0161 253 6606.
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