POLICE evacuated the centre of Manchester's Christmas Markets in the early hours of Friday 27 November following a claims a 'package' had been left in Albert Square.
A man claimed a ‘package’ had been left in the market
A statement released by Greater Manchester Police says a 19-year-old man has been arrested on 'suspicion of malicious communication' and remains in police custody.
Authorities say the teenager - supposedly drunk on alcohol and illegal highs - called in the hoax around 4.50am.
Following a thorough search by police, involving sniffer dogs and Tactical Aid Units, the largest of Manchester's Christmas Markets were reopened to traders and the public around 11.50am.
At 11.59am on Friday 27 November, Chief Superintendent Wasim Chaudhry said:
“Based on the nature of information we received, we conducted a thorough search of the area and found nothing suspicious or a threat to the public. I understand people may have been frustrated by the closure but I would like to thank them for their patience.
“We take all incidents such as this extremely seriously and the safety of the community we serve is our priority. We have plans in place with the Local Authority for instances such as this and they were implemented successfully.”
Earlier in the day Greater Manchester Police released this statement:
'At 4.50 am on Friday 27 November 2015, police received an abandoned 999 call regarding the Christmas Markets in Manchester city centre.
'Later, a man claimed a ‘package’ had been left in the market.
'A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of malicious communication and remains in custody for questioning.'
