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A laptop bag mistakenly left at the back of a hotel sparked a massive evacuation of Manchester city centre this morning over fears it was a bomb.

Hundreds of workers were evacuated from offices and parts of the city were closed after the suspect bag was found near the Mecure Manchester Piccadilly hotel at 7.35am.

(Image: @nameymcname / Twitter)

Army bomb disposal experts were called to Portland Street and a 100m cordon was put in place causing travel chaos for thousands of people.

A controlled explosion was later carried out on the bag and when examined it was found to contain no explosive device. A laptop and cables were found inside.

(Image: @nameymcname / Twitter)

(Image: Google)

In February 2003 police launched an investigation after a "sophisticated and deliberate" bomb hoax closed off the same area for more than eight hours.

A routine security check at the Novotel hotel in Portland Street found the suspicious package at 5.16am after a telephone warning had been received.

Tests later revealed it was not an explosive device.