Counter-terrorism investigators have arrested two men after “suspicious items” were found at a house in Bury, Greater Manchester.
Police said they were called at 11.24am to Victoria Avenue, Whitefield, and two men aged in their 20s were arrested under the Terrorism Act.
Both men are being questioned by detectives of the north-west counter-terrorism unit and the domestic security service, MI5, is monitoring developments.
Police said bomb disposal experts were called to the scene and no explosives were found. They would not give details of what led to the alert.
Police sealed off the area by placing a cordon around it, which they described as a precaution. Some residents were relocated, police said.
Supt Rick Jackson, from Greater Manchester police, said: “We have to take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and always at the forefront of our mind is making sure our communities are safe.
“The examinations will continue into this evening and any updates will be shared as soon as we are able to.
“We have to keep a cordon in place solely as a precaution for those living in the immediate area and we will continue to work with partners to support those affected.
“We are keeping an open mind in relation to this incident but in these circumstances we know the public would expect us to be thorough with our inquiries.
“I want to reassure people that we have specialist detectives investigating this report to establish the full facts.”
