Manchester Police Evacuate Hotel, Cordon Canal Street Over Chemical Smell

Greater Manchester Police evacuated a hotel and cordoned off a stretch of Canal Street in Manchester's Gay Village on Tuesday afternoon following reports of a chemical smell.

Officers responded around 1 p.m. to the premises after the odor, believed to be chemicals, raised suspicions. A man thought to be the occupant of the affected hotel room was detained at the scene and remains in custody. As a precaution, the hotel was fully evacuated, and specialist teams began searching the room and examining the material. No injuries were reported.

The cordon extended from the junction with Abingdon Street to Sackville Street, closing the busy section of the street lined with bars and shops. Some nearby businesses were also evacuated during the initial response, which involved police, ambulance, and fire crews. A barrier on Sackville Street was later removed, though the main cordon on Canal Street remained in place as investigations continued.

In a statement, a Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: "We are currently searching a hotel room at a premises on Canal Street, Manchester. This follows a report of a smell currently believed to be chemicals causing suspicion. A man, believed...