Internet Desk: There has been a call for a full inquiry after Manchester United’s final Premier League game of the season was abandoned after the discovery of an apparent explosive device that later turned out to be a fake bomb planted as part of a training exercise.
Greater Manchester’s police and crime commissioner, Tony Lloyd, said it was necessary to find out how the bogus explosive came to be left behind by a security company.
The error led to United’s home stadium being evacuated 20 minutes before their match against Bournemouth was due to kick off after an “incredibly lifelike explosive device” was found at the ground. The game has been rescheduled to Tuesday at 8pm.
Army bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion on the dummy device, which was discovered in the toilets within the north-west quadrant of the stadium, between the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand and the Stretford End.
Detailed examination found that the package, thought to consist of a mobile phone attached to a pipe, was not viable, Greater Manchester police initially said. A few hours later the force released a statement saying the package had been identified as a training device.
The company responsible for leaving the fake device is reportedly Security Search Management and Solutions. The firm was hired by Deacons Canines to carry out practical training exercises for sniffer dogs at the stadium last week.