Canal Street remained shut for a number of hours
Emergency services at Canal Street following hotel evacuation (Image: MEN/Kenny Brown )
A city centre street was cordoned off for hours today (Monday, May 11) following fears of a suspected ‘chemical’ incident.
Police were called to Canal Street in Manchester’s Gay Village this afternoon following reports of a smell ‘believed to be chemicals’ coming from a room of one of the hotels on the street.
The hotel and several neighbouring businesses were swiftly evacuated, while the street was cordoned off between the junctions of Sackville Street and Richmond Street.
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A steady stream of confused-looking tourists and afternoon drinkers were turned away while police officers and firefighters worked within the cordon, which was eventually reduced at around 4pm.
Detectives could be seen going in and out of businesses along the street while white-clad forensics officers photographed the scene and specialised teams examined the material.
Police said earlier that no-one was injured in the incident but that one man, believed to be the occupant of the hotel room, had been detained and was in custody.
In a statement, a GMP spokesperson said: “We are currently searching a hotel room at a premises on Canal Street, Manchester. This follows a report of a smell – currently believed to be chemicals – causing suspicion.
“A man, believed to be the occupant of the room, has been detained and is currently in custody. As a precautionary measure, the hotel has been evacuated while specialist resources examine the material and conduct further enquiries.
“No-one has been injured and we are working to establish the full circumstances. We thank people for their patience as we continue with our work.”