Homes evacuated in Greater Manchester after major incident declared

Greater Manchester Police arrested a 50-year-old man this evening, Thursday, June 1, after a property was searched in the town of Stockport.

A 100-metre cordon was erected around the vicinity of the home located on Middleton Road in Reddish and neighbours were evacuated as a precaution. After reports of ”suspected hazardous materials” being found, the bomb squad was immediately deployed.

The search was allegedly conducted after intelligence was passed to the security forces claiming that illegal fireworks were being manufactured on the premises.

“We understand this news will have caused some concern in the community, not just amongst the residents who have unfortunately been displaced”, commented Chief Inspector Jamie Collins, the Silver Commander, in a Facebook post.

He continued: “Our highest priority is keeping people safe which is why we have put a cordon in place, evacuated properties and warned members of the public to avoid the area”.

“This has understandably caused some disruption and, though we are not yet in a position to confirm when the area will return to normal, further updates will follow throughout the evening”, the officer explained, adding: “I would like to use this opportunity to thank the community for their cooperation and patience”.

In a Facebook update, Greater Manchester Police explained that a man had been arrested as a consequence of their search.