Armed police are on the scene following an incident which has brought Oldham town centre to a standstill this evening (July 7).
One of the town’s busiest roads has been closed off, with a police cordon in place. Tape is blocking a large section of Yorkshire Street, close to the junction with Horsedge Street.
Members of the public are advised to avoid the area and make alternative travel arrangements where possible. The nature of the incident has not yet been confirmed by emergency services.
Pictures from the scene show traffic having been brought to a standstill with a large number of police including armed officers responding to an incident. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has been contacted for further information.
A Stagecoach bus has been stopped on the high street. A black 4×4 vehicle can also be seen, which has suffered significant damage.
This is a breaking news story and we will be bringing you updates as we get them in the live blog below
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18:40Key Event
Police statement
A GMP spokesperson said
We are currently responding to an incident in Oldham after two cars were involved in a road traffic collision on Yorkshire Street.
The occupants of both cars exited their vehicles and officers believed they chased each other on foot brandishing weapons.
Specialist officers have been deployed to the area to conduct initial enquiries.
We understand the concern this will cause in the surrounding areas and further afield across Oldham as we received a number of reports from members of the public to alert us to this incident.
We have put a cordon in place on Yorkshire street and Horsedge street whilst officers work to establish the cause of this incident. We have increased the number of highly visible patrols in the area and thank members of the public for their patience whilst we conduct further enquiries.
18:40Key Event
Breaking: Occupants of cars chase each other with weapons after crash
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have just told us that there was a crash on Yorkshire Street, following which the occupants of both cars chased each other on foot ‘brandishing weapons’
18:38Chris Slater
Hufge police presence with officers ‘looking inside 4×4;’
Taxi driver Waleed Ahmed, 30, who passed the scene around an hour ago told the Manchester Evening News:
Someone mentioned it was closed as there had been an accident. But when we passed, even though it was all taped off, it didn’t look like an accident, it looked like something else.
As there was a huge police presence. And quite a few of the officers were armed and had their guns out. I don’t know what happened.
There was a 4×4 that was kind of reversed close to a takeaway. One of the doors was open and an officer was looking inside
18:20Chris Slater
Armed officers at the scene
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
