"Petrified" neighbours were evacuated as the bomb squad swooped on their homes after a suspected grenade was found.
Residents in two Rochdale streets were told to leave their houses following the discovery on Saturday afternoon.
Firefighters, police and bomb disposal experts were called to Dover Street and Clarke Street.
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Resident Alana Calow said families were left shaken up by the ordeal, as they had not been told what was happening when they were asked to leave their homes.
She said: “I was at my mum’s when I got a phone call from my neighbour asking if I could come pick her up because everyone was being evacuated, she was really hysterical.
“They were just watching a bit of telly and the next minute there’s a knock at the door saying ‘you’ve got to leave’.
“I was petrified because we didn’t actually get told what had happened, it caused a bit of a scare for everyone.
“We’re all a bit shaken up, you don’t really expect things like this to happen, especially not at this time on a Saturday.”
Police said they were called at around 3.35pm to a report of a burglary at a property.
A GMP statement said: "Officers attended and upon entering the property a suspected grenade was found.
"Bomb disposal officers attended the scene to assess the device and it was deemed not to be viable.
"A man was arrested at the scene but later de-arrested."
All emergency services had left the scene by around 6pm, allowing people back into their homes.
