Major UK city street evacuated due to ‘chemical incident’

One man has been arrested

It comes after a hotel was evacuated following the smell of "chemicals" being reported.

Police have said that a room in the hotel is being searched and that one man has been arrested who is believed to be the occupant of the room.

The police operation which is happening on Canal Street in Manchester's Gay Village was first reported just after 13:00 this afternoon (11 May).

Following reports of an incident, GMP released a statement.

It read: "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."

The police cordon in place stretches from the junction with Abingdon Street to the junction with Sackville Street.

No one has been injured in the incident, it has been reported.

While much of the street has been cleared and evacuated, one venue, Bar Pop, has confirmed they are still open for business.

The bar, which is a few feet away from the incident, has told customers that they are still open after they said police advised that it is "safe to open."