A 'suspicious item' which sparked a bomb scare and saw residents evacuated from their homes in Manchester city centre was deemed 'non-viable'.
The bomb squad was sent to the scene on Booth Street East after the item was found at around 10pm last night.
Police, fire crews and paramedics were also at the scene into the early hours of this morning.
A number of homes were evacuated and several streets were closed off.
Bomb disposal experts assessed the item and 'declared it safe', police said.
The cordon was lifted at around 2am and residents could safely return home.
Inspector Stephen Griffin said: "We always take reports like this seriously and public safety in situations like this is our priority.
"Thankfully, on examination, the item was assessed and was not a viable device.
"We would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding."
