Fake bomb at Old Trafford was ‘training device’, Report

British police have confirmed that the item found at Manchester United’s stadium was not an explosive, but a training device for an exercise involving sniffer dogs.

Thousands of fans were forced to leave Old Trafford stadium after staff found an “incredibly realistic-looking explosive device” in the toilets, according to police.

The match was cancelled and a controlled explosion took place.

“The training device had accidentally been left by a private company following a training exercise involving explosive search dogs”

– GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE

Manchester’s Police and Crime Commissioner has called for a full and urgent enquiry.

This fiasco caused massive inconvenience to supporters who had come from far and wide to watch the match, wasted the time of huge numbers of police officers and the army’s bomb squad, and unnecessarily put people in danger, as evacuating tens of thousands of people from a football stadium is not without risk

– TONY LLOYD, GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIOENR

Bournemouth’s match has now been rescheduled and will be played at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. Manchester United have confirmed that tickets will be refunded and fans who had tickets for the original match will be allowed to attend for free.

Incident at Old Trafford with fans having to evacuate the stadium! #MUFC pic.twitter.com/bOz0mmrtDv

— Dave O'Grady (@DaveOGrady1) May 15, 2016

Agencies/Canadajournal