Teen charged after town was brought to standstill
ATEENAGER has been charged after officers responded in Rochdale last week over a report of a suspected suspicious item.
Police were called at about 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 police 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.
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.
Police have said that there is nothing to suggest ideological, religious or political motivation at this time.
The teen appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday and was remanded until his next appearance tomorrow at Manchester Youth Court.
The Observer reported last week that the teenager had been arrested at the scene and taken into custody, as bomb disposal experts conducted specialist investigations.
Detectives also added they were not treating the incident as a foiled terror attack.
A spokesperson for the force added: “Officers would like to thank the community for their patience on the morning of the incident due to the number of road closures as enquiries were carried out.”