Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Ashlie Blakey

Striking photos show masked crews in specialist gear on scene of major incident

Striking pictures show emergency crews wearing specialist clothing following the discovery of 'hazardous materials' in a house in Reddish.

Bomb disposal experts have been working on the scene on Middleton Road since yesterday (Thursday) and through the night after a major incident was declared. Photos show masked crews wearing protective suits going in and out of a house today, as a bomb disposal robot was also pictured inside the police cordon.

Police officers remain on the scene, as well as army personnel and ambulance crews. Greater Manchester Police said the house was first searched 'in response to intelligence about the manufacture of illegal fireworks'.

Follow live updates from the cordon here

A 100m cordon was put in place as neighbours were evacuated from their homes. At this stage, they have not yet been able to return.

Residents were placed in accomodation overnight and are now being offered a 'dedicated space' at Reddish Library, police said. Members of the public should continue to avoid the area.

Emergency workers on Middleton Road, Reddish (Manchester Evening News)

Silver Commander Superintendent David Henthorne said crews 'are working as fast as they can to remove these hazardous materials from the area without endangering any property or any person but, unfortunately, this is taking some time'. No further details on the materials have been released.

Yesterday, a 50-year-old was arrested and taken into police custody. He was held under Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act.

Bomb disposal experts on Middleton Road, Reddish (Manchester Evening News)

A statement posted by GMP this morning said: "#UPDATE | GMP and partner agencies worked throughout the night but efforts to recover the hazardous material and dispose of them safely are ongoing. The cordon remains in place so displaced residents can not yet return to their homes and members of the public should continue to avoid the area."

READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community

Silver Commander Superintendent David Henthorne said: "Specialist colleagues are working as fast as they can to remove these hazardous materials from the area without endangering any property or any person but, unfortunately, this is taking some time and we cannot estimate how much longer that will be.

Bomb disposal experts on Middleton Road, Reddish (Manchester Evening News)

"This is obviously really frustrating for those who live within the cordon and we thank them for their cooperation and patience so far. Ourselves and our partner agencies are doing everything we can to get them back in their homes as soon as it is safe for us to do so."

Read more of today's top stories here

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.