Two stands at Old Trafford have been evacuated over a "suspect package" - with Manchester United's final league game of the season abandoned just minutes before it was due to kick off.
The club tweeted: "Due to the discovery of a suspect package in the NW Quadrant of the ground, the match has been abandoned today on police advice."
Manchester United - who were due to play Bournemouth at 3pm - described it as "operation code red".
Bomb disposal units and sniffer dogs are at the ground and security personnel are guiding people from the scene as a helicopter hovers overhead.
It was the Sir Alex Ferguson North Stand and the Stretford End that were evacuated at about 2.30pm - equating to more than half the 75,600-seater stadium.
Fan Alistair Carmichael told Sky News: "We got chaperoned out to the car park… and then we got told to get as far away from the ground as we could.
"It was a bit of pandemonium to start with … people generally didn't understand what was going on."
There are reports of confusion as the evacuation took place, with some stewards thinking it was a fire drill.
Fans in the other two stands were initially told to remain in their seats but have now been cleared following the decision to call off the match.
Both sets of players were warming up when they evacuation began - and were subsequently called in and kept in the dressing rooms.
Manchester United fan Rachel Blewitt told Sky News she arrived at the stadium at 2.20pm and shortly afterwards the evacuation started.
She said: "We weren't sure what was going on for a while … and then sniffer dogs came out from the North Stand and along the length of the North Stand and then it transpired that the suspect package was in the North West Quadrant."
The search of the ground will be complicated by people leaving bags as their made their way out in a rush.
Following the evacuation Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness revealed he and colleagues were searched at the ground for the first time amid heightened security.
Sky News Sports Correspondent Paul Kelso said: "I'm struggling to think of a similar incident - certainly in the Premier League in recent years.
"This is the Premier League's biggest stadium - 75,635 seats - being evacuated and the match being abandoned, which is not done lightly, and in sporting terms its not done lightly on the last day of the football season when all 10 Premier League games kick off simultaneously at 3 o'clock to try to ensure sporting integrity. Those issues secondary at the moment."
United are embroiled in a battle for fourth place with Manchester City and they will now know their local rivals' result before their game with Bournemouth is played out.
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The club tweeted: "Due to the discovery of a suspect package in the NW Quadrant of the ground, the match has been abandoned today on police advice."
Manchester United - who were due to play Bournemouth at 3pm - described it as "operation code red".
Bomb disposal units and sniffer dogs are at the ground and security personnel are guiding people from the scene as a helicopter hovers overhead.
It was the Sir Alex Ferguson North Stand and the Stretford End that were evacuated at about 2.30pm - equating to more than half the 75,600-seater stadium.
Fan Alistair Carmichael told Sky News: "We got chaperoned out to the car park… and then we got told to get as far away from the ground as we could.
"It was a bit of pandemonium to start with … people generally didn't understand what was going on."
There are reports of confusion as the evacuation took place, with some stewards thinking it was a fire drill.
Fans in the other two stands were initially told to remain in their seats but have now been cleared following the decision to call off the match.
Both sets of players were warming up when they evacuation began - and were subsequently called in and kept in the dressing rooms.
Manchester United fan Rachel Blewitt told Sky News she arrived at the stadium at 2.20pm and shortly afterwards the evacuation started.
She said: "We weren't sure what was going on for a while … and then sniffer dogs came out from the North Stand and along the length of the North Stand and then it transpired that the suspect package was in the North West Quadrant."
The search of the ground will be complicated by people leaving bags as their made their way out in a rush.
Following the evacuation Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness revealed he and colleagues were searched at the ground for the first time amid heightened security.
Sky News Sports Correspondent Paul Kelso said: "I'm struggling to think of a similar incident - certainly in the Premier League in recent years.
"This is the Premier League's biggest stadium - 75,635 seats - being evacuated and the match being abandoned, which is not done lightly, and in sporting terms its not done lightly on the last day of the football season when all 10 Premier League games kick off simultaneously at 3 o'clock to try to ensure sporting integrity. Those issues secondary at the moment."
United are embroiled in a battle for fourth place with Manchester City and they will now know their local rivals' result before their game with Bournemouth is played out.
More follows...
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