The incident unfolded following reports of a ‘suspicious male’ at the Higher Broughton park at…

‘I was exercising at the park - the next thing I knew snipers were aiming at me’

The incident unfolded following reports of a 'suspicious male’ at the Higher Broughton park at around 11.52am. The alarm was raised when people spotted the man in a vest, carrying what some feared was a cable or 'wires’.

Panic spread, with wild speculation quickly flooding social media. False claims the man was wearing a 'suicide bomb’, 'bomb vest’ or 'pack’ were rife. Dozens of images and video clips appeared online within minutes.

Greater Manchester Police later confirmed it was a 'false alarm’ and that the man was wearing a 'weighted gym vest’ and carrying a skipping rope while exercising. There is an outdoor gym at the park.