Christmas markets reopening after ‘package’ threat

At 4.50am 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.

The market had been temporarily cordoned off while officers ensured there was no threat to members of the public.

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.”