Neighbours evacuated as bomb squad descends on Bury street

Neighbours said a resident had been digging in their garden before the incident occurred, leading to firefighters from Whitefield, Bolton North, and Ashton-under-Lyne attending alongside Greater Manchester Police.

GMP confirmed that an item was “moved to a nearby location for a controlled explosion” following the incident.

A 100-metre cordon put in place to “ensure the safety of the community” was subsequently removed.

Police set up a cordon on Rivington Drive after reports of a suspected grenade (Image: Mark)

Couple evacuated from home for three hours

Mark and Yvonne, who did not give their surnames, live next door to the garden where the suspected grenade was found are were asked to leave their home while teams worked to make the area safe.

Mark said the couple, who are in their 70s, had been sitting in their car for ‘about three hours’ while the bomb disposal teams attended the scene.

He added: “We didn’t see a thing, we just got asked to leave the house.

“We just went and backed up the street, and that was it. Some neighbours asked to go in a bit later on if we wanted a cup of tea and that was it.

“There were loads of police around and stuff like that.”

Yvonne said she found the experience ‘annoying’ and added: “I was worried about our windows if it went off.”

Residents of Rivington Drive were evacuated while a bomb squad carried out work (Image: Jack Fifield, Newsquest)

‘It’s a lovely, lovely place’

Another couple – a man and a woman –  living further up the road, who did not wish to give their names, said the area was usually very quiet.

The man said: “It’s a pensioners’ paradise around here, nobody moves.

“It’s a lovely, lovely place. Lovely neighbours, everybody.”

‘This was all fields before the estate was built’

Another man living on the street, who also did not wish to give his name, speculated the incident could be related to a former army barracks nearby.

He said: “They found something buried in a garden and just said they’re investigating to see what it is.

“There were police, there were some fire engines up outside the school there, but that’s all I know.”

Police and fire also worked as far out as Mile Lane during the incident (Image: Jack Fifield, Newsquest)

He added: “Wellington Barracks down there used to be a big army place in the Second World War. Whether it has anything to do with them doing manoeuvres before the estate was built here, I don’t know, because this was all fields before the estate was built.

“That’s sheer speculation, that.”

Earlier today, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “Shortly after 11.15am today (Sunday, 30 June), two fire engines from Whitefield and Bolton North fire stations, and the Technical Response Unit from Ashton-under-Lyne Community Fire Station, were called to attend an incident on Rivington Drive, Bury.

“Crews arrived quickly and are working alongside colleagues from Greater Manchester Police to make the area safe.”

If you have a story, please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk.