Manchester United stadium ‘bomb’ identified as training device

Old Trafford evacuated after discovery of what turns out to be device left behind by company conducting training exercise

A fake bomb planted by a security company as part of a training exercise at Old Trafford caused the cancellation of Manchester United’s final Premier League game of the season when the firm forgot to take it away.

The security blunder led to United’s home stadium being evacuated 20 minutes before kick-off against Bournemouth after an “incredibly lifelike explosive device” was found at the ground.
Army bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion on the dummy device, which was discovered in the toilets within the north-west quadrant, between the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand and the Stretford End.
The twitter page of Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 15, 2016 Due to the discovery of a suspect package in the NW Quadrant of the ground, the match has been abandoned today on police advice. #mufc
Detailed examination found that the package, thought to consist of a mobile phone attached to a pipe, was not “viable”, Greater Manchester police (GMP) initially said. A few hours later the force released a statement saying the package had been identified as a “training device”.
GMP said on Sunday night: “Shortly before today’s planned football fixture, which was due to kick off at 3pm, staff from the Manchester United ground alerted police to a suspicious item that had been found.