Manchester attack: Police and bomb disposal team search Wigan property in connection with suicide bombing

Same street was evacuated last week after the discovery of 'potentially suspicious items'

Police put a cordon in place after bomb disposal officers were deployed to a street in Wigan (Twitter/Paul Doward)

Police and a bomb disposal team are searching an address in Wigan in connection with the Manchester attack.

Members of the public are being advised to avoid the area and a cordon is in place as explosives experts and officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) search the property.

In a statement, GMP said: “We are currently searching a property in Springfield Street in Wigan in relation to last Monday’s attack on Manchester Arena.

“There is a cordon in place and we are asking people to avoid the area.”

The force added that the search was "ongoing" but refused to give further details.

A Royal Logistic Corps bomb disposal unit was seen in the area on Tuesday afternoon.

The vehicle was seen leaving around 40 minutes later. Local news site Wigan Today said the cordon was lifted at around 4.40pm (BST) and residents were allowed to return to their homes.

Springfield Street was evacuated last Thursday after the discovery of "potentially suspicious items".

At the time, eyewitnesses described seeing a dozen police cars, police helicopters, bomb disposal vans and officers on the street.

"We made an arrest in Wigan yesterday in connection with the investigation into the incident at Manchester Arena. Following this arrest a house in Wigan was raised this morning and is currently being searched," a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said of that operation.

"Potentially suspicious items were found at the address and a large cordon has been put in place as explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) make an assessment.

"We have a number of officers on the ground and are evacuating people as a matter of precaution as public safety is paramount to our investigation. We are working with the local authority to accommodate those who have been evacuated."