Hundreds evacuated from flats carrying pets and bags as bomb squad lock down area

dailystar.co.uk:

Manchester Evening News reports.A statement from Greater Manchester Police reads: "Emergency services are currently in attendance at Owen Street in the Deansgate area of the City Centre, following the discovery of a potential suspicious item."A number of flats have been evacuated as a safety precaution and a 100m cordon is currently in place whilst EOD make their way to the scene to make an assessment."We are working closely with GMFRS and NWAS to ensure this incident is dealt with quickly and safely."A notification sent to residents reads: "Due to a police incident, please could you evacuate the building immediately, please could you message any communal WhatsApp groups please could you add it onto these and request all towers to evacuate."Reporter Lyell Tweed has been tweeting from the scene, writing: "This is the Whitworth Street West side, police tape is blocking every street into the towers."Residents are camped outside the towers as police carry out work."Much more police on Chester Road, can’t see too much going on but people so seem to be able to walk inside the cordon still."To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up for one of our newsletters here.Resident Hannah Whitehead told local news reporters: "We have an app for the Towers for announcements, and we got a few messages telling people to evacuate ASAP."It was telling people to let all their friends to evacuate.

We evacuated and the police have turned up and told people where to go, and a cordon has been put in place."There's tape all around, there's lots of police and the bomb squad have turned up now.