A man has been arrested on suspicion of robbery as a heavy police presence was seen around shops in Astley Bridge.
Two police vans and two cars were situated on Blackburn Road in Bolton from 11.20am.
A man was arrested on suspicion of robbery by officers arriving at the scene.
A cordon was placed from Domino’s Pizza to Cohen’s Chemist, with Bridge Wines in the middle after the incident.
Officers stood outside to prevent people from getting too close and advised people to walk round or cross the road.
READ: UPDATES: Emergency services on Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge
Many people reported seeing a man leave one of the shops and was apprehended after attempting to steal, which has been confirmed by GMP.
A business on the road said: “I didn’t see what happened, but the barber’s and other places had seen someone outside stealing, so they went after him.
“The police cordon has been here all morning; I don’t know anything else.”
Police officers at the scene said the area would be closed off as the incident was being investigated.
A spokesman for GMP said: “The spokesperson said in a statement: "Officers were called to a premises on Blackburn Road, Bolton, at around 11:20am today.
“A man has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody."
The cordon takes over part of the road and The Bolton News understand emergency services were at the scene for an hour and it was an 'ongoing incident.’
A paramedic was also at the scene.
There has been a lot of speculation as to what happened, and some people expressed concern about the incident.
One resident had been asking if it was safe to go out.
One motorist told The Bolton News: "I have just driven past and there is a cordon in place. It looks bad.
"It is obviously very serious."
READ MORE:
Westhoughton councillors and residents fill potholes
M6 scene of crash involving 2 HGVs
Radcliffe: Travellers spotted on Asda car park
The incident meant people were having to pass oncoming traffic to get to the other side of the cordon, as officers warned people to be wary of the cars before walking alongside the police van.
One passer-by said: “It’s a bit dangerous because we have to walk around the traffic, but something serious obviously happened here.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel