The bomb disposal squad was called in and a controlled explosion carried out within the stadium. Greater Manchester Police described it as an “incredibly lifelike explosive device” but added that the “device wasn’t viable.”
Before the controlled explosion took place, Greater Manchester Police assistant chief constable John O’Hare justified the abandonment by saying in a statement, “We don’t make these decisions lightly and we have done this today to ensure the safety of all those attending.’’
The Stretford End and Sir Alex Ferguson Stand were evacuated at around 2.40 p.m. after an announcement was made for security personnel to invoke “operation red code.”