Five arrests as police find firearms, grenades and drugs as properties evacuated in Stretford

A number of properties in the Gorse Hill area of Stretford have been evacuated while police continue to investigate the discovery of suspicious items in the area this week.

Specialist officers have searched properties on Milton Street and Derwent Road and have arrested four men and a woman on suspicion of firearms offences.

Two suspected firearms and a number of suspected grenades have been recovered as well as a quantity of suspected class A and B drugs.

A cordon remains in place as a precaution. The cordon may disrupt local rail services so members of the public are being advised to check before they travel.

In the early hours of Thursday warrants were executed at a property on Milton Street.  During a search of the property a suspected firearm and two suspected grenades were recovered. A 41-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and remains in police custody for questioning.

Later that day, warrants were executed on Ascot Avenue, Stretford and Firbank Road, Wythenshawe. A 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm. He remains in custody for questioning. A 47-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm. She remains in custody for questioning. A 32-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. She has been released, facing no further action.

Detective Chief Inspector Joe Harrop, of GMP’s Serious Crime Division, said: “There are a number of people in custody being questioned in connection with the discovery of these items and, thankfully, we have safely removed these potentially deadly weapons from our streets.

“We appreciate the disruption investigations like this can have on communities so I would like to thank members of the public, particularly those whose properties have been evacuated today and yesterday, for their co-operation and understanding.

“Our investigation is ongoing and I would like to offer reassurance that we take incidents of this nature extremely seriously and will continue do all we can to protect  people.”