Teen charged after Rochdale town centre taped off over fears of 'suspicion item'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A teenager has been charged after officers raced to Rochdale last week over a report of a suspected suspicious item. Police were called at around 3.10am last Thursday (April 21) to the item on Dane Street.

The area was quickly cordoned off, including a number of road closures as experts examined the item. When cops arrived at the scene, they were ‘confronted’ by a teenager who was armed with a weapon.

The incident led to a huge cordon across Rochdale, with a large portion of the A58 shut off for much of the day. There was a huge emergency services presence in the area, with closures in place on Manchester Road, Dane Street, The Esplanade and St Mary's Gate.

A controlled explosion was later carried out and the item was confirmed as not viable or suspicious. READ MORETwo people found dead in south Manchester flats named as investigations continue Police have now confirmed that a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, two counts of possession of a knife in a public place and a placing an article with the intention of inducing a person to believe that it is likely to explode or ignite.