The bomb squad descended on a Middleton estate today after an unexploded grenade was reportedly found in an empty ice cream tub. The bizarre discovery is believed to have been made when the council were clearing out a house, following a resident's death.
Gatesgarth Road was taped off for around three hours, which Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has now confirmed was 'as a precaution'. Meanwhile, nearby homes were evacuated and neighbours watched on for hours as cops, firefighters and the army all attended.
While the drama unfolded, some of the residents took advantage of the sunshine, bringing camping chairs and cans of lager with them after being asked to leave their houses. The person living next door to the house where the grenade was found told the Manchester Evening News : "The council were clearing the house out because the man who lived there passed away a few weeks ago.
"Basically they've found it in an ice cream tub, in loads of soil. They've pulled it out and then they've come to us to ask what to do and I was thinking 'how am I supposed to know?'
"We've been out here hours but they said we had to leave our pets inside."
Another neighbour said: "I live over there but I've come over for a bit of a nosey because I've got nothing better to do. It was in a box of Walls Neapolitan apparently."
Just before 6pm, a soldier entered the house with a box and emerged around 20 minutes later to huge applause from those residents either side of the cordon. The road was reopened and the grenade was then taken to nearby Bowlee Park for a controlled explosion to take place.
A GMP spokesman said: "At around 2.45pm on Friday 29 April 2022, we received a report of a grenade at a property on Gatesgarth Road, Middleton. A cordon was put in place as a precaution.
"Specialist officers removed the device before carrying out a controlled explosion at a nearby and safe location."
