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Heavily-armed anti-terror police have been seen in a Manchester suburb with locals reporting hearing an "explosion".

In total, police raised two properties in south Manchester - one in Fallowfield and another in nearby Whalley Range.

Residents in Fallowfield posted footage of armed police close to a house.

Some reported hearing an explosion, now understood to be a controlled explosion carried out to gain access to a property.

It comes after last night's devastating terror attack at the Manchester Arena which left 22 people dead.

(Image: Twitter)

(Image: Eamonn and James Clarke)

Manchester's Arndale shopping centre was also earlier evacuated with video footage showing armed police escorting a man from the building.

Witnesses described how people have fled the shopping centre in panic over rumours of a bomb threat.

One eyewitness described the scene as "mass hysteria" with hundreds running from the building.

Some inside the shopping centre said they heard a "big bang".

"There are people coming out holding hands," a Reuters photographer said.

(Image: Eamonn and James Clarke) (Image: REUTERS) (Image: REUTERS)

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Helicopters circled overhead as crowds lined the streets of the complex. One man said : "Security guards started shouting "run,run" and we all fled.

"People are saying another device has been found. It's terrifying."

Butcher Adele Hayward, 37, was working at the counter of High Street meats in the centre.

She's said: "I was serving on the bottom floor when I heard everyone screaming get out, get out"

(Image: SWNS.com) (Image: SWNS.com) (Image: SWNS.com)

"I ran out the centre and across the street. Someone said there was a package left in there but it could just be rumours.

"We're lucky the centre was quiet because everyone is still taking on what happened last night."

Another man, who gave his name as Mark, from Hansfords Cafe in Arndale market, said he heard a sound which may have been a gun shot but added:

"I'm not 100 per cent. It was very scary. People were running. Some were screaming and crying.

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"It's an eerie feeling in Manchester today. It's going to take a while to get back to any sort of reality."

Greater Manchester Police later confirmed a man had been arrested. The incident is not believed to be connected to last night's terror attack, police said.

The first victim of last night's attack has now been named as Georgina Bethany Callander.

The 18-year-old Ariana Grande superfan, who was pictured with the pop star two year ago, was killed in a blast police have confirmed was detonated by a lone suicide bomber.

(Image: REUTERS) (Image: REUTERS)

Actor Sean Maguire took to Twitter to pay his respects to the "young and sweet" teenager who reportedly died in hospital with her mum at her bedside.

"Just met this girl in April," he said. "She was killed last night in Manchester. My love to her and all the families of the victims."

Georgina was one of at least 22 people killed in the blast last night.

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(Image: Instagram) (Image: PA) (Image: Getty Images Europe)

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She had tweeted the US pop singer on Sunday, writing: “SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU TOMORROW.”

Georgina's devastated friends led tributes to the teen, who they described as a "ray of sunshine".

Greater Manchester Police have confirmed 22 people have been killed and around 59 injured after a suicide bomber detonated an explosion in a busy foyer near to the arena at approximately 10:33pm last night.

Hundreds of people - many of whom were young girls - were leaving an Ariana Grande concert when they heard "loud bangs".

As victims walked across the foyer, they were thrown into the air by the blast, which left nuts and bolts scattered across the floor.

(Image: PA)

(Image: crazy_kyia/Twitter)

(Image: PA) (Image: Getty Images Europe)

Desperate parents and friends posted messages on social media as they tried to find out what had happened to their loved ones.

One friend of Georgina's posed a moving tribute to Twitter. It read: "A beautiful girl with the kindest heart & soul, I'll miss you forever, may you rest in a better place than here. I love you."

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Police announced this morning that the death toll had increased to 22, with a further 59 people injured, and children were among the dead.

The attack was carried out by a lone bomber who detonated an improvised explosive device in a foyer between the arena and Victoria station.

(Image: Cavendish Press/Pat Isaacs) (Image: Cavendish Press/Pat Isaacs)

Police said the man died in the attack and officers are trying to establish whether he had help in planning and executing the bombing.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters: "We believe, at this stage, the attack last night was conducted by one man. The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network."

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

(Image: REUTERS) (Image: SWNS)

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Witnesses described scenes of chaos and a stampede in the aftermath of the blast, which targeted people as they left the 21,000-seat arena.

They reported seeing bodies on the floor where the explosion took place and walking wounded covered in blood as they were helped by police and paramedics.

Witness Sebastian Diaz, 19, said: "We ran and people were screaming around us and pushing on the stairs to go outside and people were falling down, girls were crying, and we saw these women being treated by paramedics having open wounds on their legs ... it was just chaos.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

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"It was literally just a minute after [the concert] ended, the lights came on and the bomb went off."

Harrowing footage showed fans running for their lives and scrambling over seats after the explosion rocked the venue.

Prime Minister Theresa May held an emergency Cobra meeting with her cabinet and intelligence chiefs to discuss how to respond to the attack.

It was the deadliest attack on British soil since the 7/7 bombings killed 52 innocent people in 2005.

Leaders of Britain's political parties have suspended campaigning ahead of the June 8 election.

World leaders have offered condolences to the victims and expressed solidarity with Britain.

US President Donald Trump said the victims were murdered by "evil losers".