PASSENGERS at Manchester Airport train station were evacuated after reports of a suspicious package.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that they were called just before 7.05am today (Monday, September 23) following reports of a man behaving 'erratically' close to the Manchester Airport transport interchange.

The man was detained by officers and has since been taken to hospital for assessment.

A suspicious bag was found at the scene and a controlled explosion was carried out as a precaution by the bomb disposal team.

Following an assessment it was confirmed that the bag did not contain a viable device.

There is no evidence to suggest that the incident is terrorism related.

Chief Inspector Andy Sutcliffe, of GMP’s Manchester Airport team, said: “I appreciate that reports of today’s incident may have caused some concern but I can confirm that the matter has now been safely resolved and the area is returning to normal.

“Public safety is our top priority so a controlled explosion of a bag was carried out as a precaution before an inspection of the contents confirmed that there was no viable device or components inside.

“I want to stress that there is no evidence to suggest that this incident was terrorism related and I want to thank members of the public for their patience and support as we responded.”