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Old Trafford stewards wait outside after the stadium was completely evacuated. PA Wire/Press Association Images

Manchester Police reveal Old Trafford bomb scare was caused by a training device

Greater Manchester Police say a private company mistakenly left the ‘incredibly lifelike’ device behind.

Updated 22.20

GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE tonight say the device that prompted a stadium evacuation and match abandonment at Old Trafford today was in fact the target of a training exercise which was mistakenly left behind.

The discovery of the ‘suspect package’ in the north-west corner of the stadium brought about an evacuation order shortly before kick-off at this afternoon’s Premier League meeting between Manchester United and Bournemouth. The match was later called off as the stadium issued a ‘code red’ alert and the bomb disposal unit was called in.

Around 4.30pm, a controlled explosion was carried out inside the stadium. Greater Manchester Police reported that the target device was ‘incredibly lifelike’, but ultimately was not a viable threat.

However, tonight Police issued a further clarification, saying:

Following today’s controlled explosion, we have since found out that the item was a training device which had accidentally been left by a private company following a training exercise involving explosive search dogs.

“Whilst this item did not turn out to be a viable explosive, on appearance this device was as real as could be, and the decision to evacuate the stadium was the right thing to do, until we could be sure that people were not at risk.”

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    Mute Joe Murphy
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    May 15th 2016, 7:15 PM

    Better to be safe than sorry, especially when thousands of lives are at stake.

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    Mute John S
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    May 15th 2016, 10:47 PM

    Deffo. Nobody wants another Hillsborough. But how embarrassing, I hope it wasn’t some lad on work experience who went for a fag and forgot about it!

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    Mute Tomás O'Loughlin
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    May 15th 2016, 10:51 PM

    Shit…

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    Mute Notthatguy
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    May 16th 2016, 12:17 AM

    After all that, this story should be moved to the dailyedge…..

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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    May 16th 2016, 6:16 AM

    You’re joking. The Home Office is probably drawing up fresh contracts as we speak. It’s not as the litany of cock-ups and corrupt shenanigans at Capita, G4S or Serco has dented the faith of HM government in outsourcing serious matters to questionable private outfits, is it?

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    Mute Ross McMahon
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    May 15th 2016, 7:11 PM

    Most exciting thing to happen in old Trafford all year!

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    Mute Goldberg
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    May 15th 2016, 7:24 PM

    I think you nicked my comment from the original report!

    16
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    Mute Ross McMahon
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    May 15th 2016, 9:37 PM

    To be honest, I nicked it from a mate earlier on a WhatsApp group. But it’s such an obvious one!

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    Mute Donal O Neil
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    May 15th 2016, 7:05 PM

    This unfortunately was a dry run by those scu m to see could they get it in and also to gauge the reaction of the police and army and how they would defuse it . Now they will plot this differently and still get it into the stadium . Everyone be watchful please and if you see anything suspicious then inform security immediately

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    May 15th 2016, 7:06 PM

    Donal

    It’s good of you to share your insider knowledge with us all

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    Mute Galway Spurs
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    May 15th 2016, 7:13 PM

    Sarcasm is unnecessary

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    Mute Gareth Murphy
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    May 15th 2016, 7:24 PM

    Well, the security services have been warning of an imminent dissident republican attack on mainland Britain for the last week!

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    Mute Fred
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    May 15th 2016, 7:27 PM

    Britain will suffice. No need for the “mainland” bit…

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    May 15th 2016, 7:29 PM

    Galway

    I completely agree. Sarcasm is totally unnecessary when we have completely unsupported statements of fact.

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    Mute Shane Kinsella
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    May 15th 2016, 7:32 PM

    Britain is the landmass containing Scotland, England and Wales, it doesn’t have a mainland. Standard geography stuff to be honest.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    May 15th 2016, 7:38 PM

    Shane

    Britain includes a number of islands belonging to England, Scotland and Wales therefore it does actually have a mainland. Standard geography stuff really!

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    Mute Gareth Murphy
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    May 15th 2016, 7:44 PM

    Well the supposed threat was specific to mainland Britain. Mi5 didn’t feel that Britain would suffice. These distinctions are kind of important when it comes to these kinds of things.

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    Mute john
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    May 15th 2016, 7:51 PM

    Love that Nick

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    Mute splurrrge
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    May 15th 2016, 8:10 PM

    Why do a dry run though, if they’re going to do it they’d actually just bomb the place today.

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    Mute Tariq ibn Ziyad
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    May 15th 2016, 10:55 PM

    Scarlet for the very paranoid Donal; ‘It was a dry run,EEK!’

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    Mute liam whelan
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    May 15th 2016, 11:10 PM

    @Nick, Britain is the main land of the united kingdom. Them islands you speak of belong to the UK as a whole which consists of 3 1/2 countries.

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    Mute Shawn Rahoon
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    May 16th 2016, 12:10 AM

    Donal, you should go away, you know, and take your shite talk with you.

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    Mute Gavin Boyce
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    May 15th 2016, 10:38 PM

    You had one job!

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    Mute Sean MacGhormain
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    May 15th 2016, 7:14 PM

    Pat Mustard was at it again

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    Mute splurrrge
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    May 15th 2016, 10:14 PM

    Sh!t happens.

    58
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    Mute Barra O Brien
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    May 15th 2016, 7:08 PM

    That was van gaal’s suitcase.

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    Mute Thomas Barry
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    May 15th 2016, 10:42 PM

    Somebody is getting sacked for that!!

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    Mute Donal Ring
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    May 15th 2016, 8:44 PM

    Presumably there is loads of CCTV everywhere in football grounds so should be easy to find out who planted the device.

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    Mute Robert Beatty
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    May 15th 2016, 8:44 PM

    Suspicious object in old Trafford it was a trophy

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    Mute A McGabhann
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    May 15th 2016, 6:54 PM

    Fu€kin scary shit.

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    Mute Chauncey Gardiner
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    May 15th 2016, 10:07 PM

    Just hearing on BBC radio now that what was found was actually a training device that was left behind!!!

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    Mute Gerard Doherty
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    May 15th 2016, 10:41 PM

    I’d get new dogs so, not much good if they didn’t find the device! Also did they now know how many they put out in the stadium, surely they notice they were short one?

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    Mute Ciaran Rice
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    May 15th 2016, 11:19 PM

    Gerard, dogs sniff out explosives. This was a training device, it did not contain any explosives. That will explain why a dog didn’t sniff it out, if indeed explosives dogs were/are routinely used before spectators entered the stadium.

    The dogs were most likely brought in after the find to ensure no other devices were in the stadium.

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    Mute Fergal Kelly
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    May 15th 2016, 11:53 PM

    The device was planted to be a test for sniffer dogs Ciaran.

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    Mute Gerard Doherty
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    May 16th 2016, 8:36 AM

    Cieran, Why so would they bring in dogs if they couldn’t find the devices! It was a training exercise for the dogs who find these devices/explosives!

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    Mute Paul
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    May 15th 2016, 10:27 PM

    Panic over lads. UK media reporting it was a “test” device used and let behind by a private security firm.

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    Mute Kevin Maughan
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    May 15th 2016, 10:12 PM

    I was there today. Scary stuff I can tell ya.

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    Mute Joe Harbison
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    May 15th 2016, 7:02 PM

    I blame Uwe Rosler’s granddad.

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    Mute Alan Farrell
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    May 15th 2016, 7:07 PM

    Took the words right out of my mouth.

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    Mute Trevor Beale
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    May 15th 2016, 10:36 PM
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    Mute Original Dodgy Boy
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    May 15th 2016, 7:48 PM

    Fergie time in full flow now

    20
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    Mute Kalon Dillon
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    May 15th 2016, 7:20 PM

    Is it a coincidence that the British government raised its terrorism level this week from info they got about Irish terrorists.

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    Mute Stephen Coveney
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    May 15th 2016, 8:12 PM

    I think so yes. This is completely away from any other IRA (catch all statement) that we ever have seen. Also now that it was not a viable device it could be anything.

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    Mute Kalon Dillon
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    May 15th 2016, 8:21 PM

    I couldn’t be as sure as you are that it’s not ira related,unfortunately.

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    Mute Larry L'Oiseau
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    May 15th 2016, 8:44 PM

    *IF* it was terrorist related then it seems certainly n it was the IRA-lite that did it and not the Islamists. Our Muslim friends don’t do dry runs as they have enough gob$hites willing to give their lives to destroy yours.

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    Mute Barry Scott
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    May 15th 2016, 8:52 PM

    Stephen, not really. Remember the Aintree grand national.

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    Mute Kirk Van Houten
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    May 15th 2016, 11:01 PM

    Not a hope is the training device story true first off it wouldn’t have been left behind second if it was they would have copped on a lot quicker. This is a story put out so as to not alarm the public

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    Mute Sean Gerard
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    May 15th 2016, 11:21 PM

    Understandably crap that the match was abandoned, but great opportunity for emergency services to practice their skills in mass evacuation drills. Great learning potential for all involved to see where they can improve should it happen for real in the future.

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    Mute Richard Curtis
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    May 15th 2016, 9:04 PM

    ‘Twas a gambler who bet too much on the game and needed a way to cancel the bet

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    Mute Marc Esteve
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    May 15th 2016, 8:42 PM

    Basically, the device was like the home side.

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    Mute Paddy O'Brien
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    May 15th 2016, 10:36 PM

    Am I missing something here, was it an explosive device or not? They carried out a controlled explosion – if it explodes that it’s an explosive device right? Incredibly life-like suggests it was not real would I be right in saying that? But they exploded it? I wouldnt have gone out last night had I know I was going to have to try to figure this out today.

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    Mute Bluechip78
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    May 15th 2016, 10:47 PM

    Controlled explosions generally involve blowing up the package with other explosives shaped to control the blast.

    There may not have been any explosives in the original ‘bomb’.

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    Mute Notthatguy
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    May 15th 2016, 10:57 PM

    Did that security firm not notice something looking like a bomb was missing??? Wtf??

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    Mute Mick Power
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    May 15th 2016, 11:06 PM

    It was covered with old United grey strip

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    Mute Ron Koeman
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    May 15th 2016, 11:29 PM

    I don’t believe it, I think they’re just saying that now

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    Mute davemck
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    May 16th 2016, 1:25 AM

    It’s very hard to believe. That security expert professionals would make such a mistake. The full honest story will only be known to a select few

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    Mute Retired Fireman
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    May 16th 2016, 1:50 PM

    Thats going to cost the security companie millions of pounds in costs . Lost revenues at old trafford / police / fire / bomb squad / sky tv etc etc

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    Mute John Murphy
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    May 15th 2016, 10:17 PM

    It would appear that United can’t do training exercises properly now.

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