The man was found carrying a skipping rope
A man with his hands on his head at Mandley Park(Image: X)
Armed officers stormed a Salford park as fears were raised over a ‘suspicious’ man wearing a vest. But the incident was soon declared a ‘false alarm’, after it was confirmed the man had been in Mandley Park to exercise.
Police were called out to the park, off Leicester Road, in Higher Broughton, at around 11.52am this morning (March 20). The alarm was raised after the man was seen wearing what appeared to be a black, padded vest over his top.
Greater Manchester Police quickly arrived on the scene, with footage showing several armed officers surrounding the man. He was seen on his knees and with his hands on his head inside Mandley Park, as guns were pointed towards him at one point.
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However, officers at the scene soon discovered the man had been wearing a weighted gym vest, while he was also found carrying a skipping rope. GMP says there is no wider threat to the community, with officers remaining at the scene for reassurance.
Mandley Park is situated in the heart of Salford’s Jewish community, around one mile from the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, which was the scene of last October’s terror attack on Yom Kippur. Large crowds of predominantly young, Jewish people were seen in attendance around Mandley Park after today’s incident unfolded.
Officers and crowds gather at Mandley Park(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Community Security Trust (CST), a charity which protects Jewish communities in the UK, urged residents to follow police instructions as the incident unfolded. A GMP spokesperson said: “We received a report of a suspicious male on Bristol Street, Salford, at around 11:52am today.
“Officers attended and quickly established that the individual was wearing a weighted gym vest and carrying a skipping rope while exercising at an outdoor gym. This was a false alarm and there is no threat to the wider community.”
A CST spokesperson added: “The incident in Mandley Park has now been resolved. Police have confirmed there is no wider risk to the public. We thank GMP for their swift response to what appears to have been a false alarm.”