There were panicked scenes in Manchester shortly after 11am on Tuesday as police cleared shoppers and workers from a busy shopping centre.
Police descended on Manchester Arndale, a mall in the centre of the city, and video later showed officers escorting a man from the scene while police dogs searched the premises.
Other videos on social media showed shoppers moving swiftly from the area and one worker, a Boots Opticians, detailed how “people started evacuating the food court and the security guards starting shouting everybody to (sic) get out.”
The Manchester Evening News said the incident was unrelated to the bomb attack at Manchester Arena on Monday evening that killed 22 and injured a further 59 people.
Within half an hour of the incident unfolding reports from the scene showed staff returning to the shopping centre.
Greater Manchester Police are yet to comment on the incident.
However, shortly before midday police said they had arrested a 23-year-old man from South Manchester in relation to Monday night’s attack.
Manchester Arndale was razed to the ground by a blast in June 1996 after the Provisional IRA parked a truck containing explosives in a lorry on Corporation Street. The attack did not result in any deaths.