Horror as dad ‘surrounded by snipers’ after gym vest mistaken for bomb in UK park | UK | News
Man photographed with hands on head in Mandley Park (Image: X)
A father who was surrounded by police snipers after a false alarm described how frightened he was when armed officers shouted at him to get on the ground. The man, in his 40s, was photographed on his knees with his hands above his head amid dramatic scenes at Salford’s Mandley Park.
Despite the frightening misunderstandings, the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to concerns for his safety, said he told police “better safe than sorry” and praised them for their treatment of him. The incident emerged following reports of a “suspicious male” wearing a vest and carrying what some feared was a cable or “wire” in a park in the Higher Broughton area at around 11.52am on Friday. Panic spread online as dozens of photos and videos quickly circulated with false claims that he was wearing a “suicide bomb” or “bomb vest”.
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Man surrounded by police in Mandley Park, Salford (Image: X)
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) later confirmed it was a “false alarm” and that the man was wearing a “weighted fitness vest” and carrying a skipping rope as he exercised in the park where an outdoor gym is located.
To talk Manchester Evening NewsThe man said: “I was scared when I heard the police shouting. They told me to ‘lie down’. I didn’t think it was for me, but there was no one else around me.”
“One of them said, ‘if he moves, shoot him’ or something like that. His colleague was saying to the other one, ‘shoot him,’ several times. I lie down, do whatever he tells me, and I see a helicopter above my head.”
Manchester Police confirm incident was ‘false alarm’ (Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
The father, who moved to England from Albania 25 years ago, said he used his jump rope and vest while exercising as usual.
The man, who said Mandley Park was one of his preferred training spots, said he wore the weighted vest “everywhere” following his doctor’s advice to stay fit.
He explained: “I wear it everywhere I go. I have type 2 diabetes and a heart problem. The doctor told me to exercise because I was overweight.”
“That’s why I train. I go to the gym, I go to the park just to exercise. But yesterday was one of them.” [days]. I wear this vest everywhere while doing sports. “I see many people using this vest, not just me.”
The region is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the country.
Footage and images of the man being surrounded by armed police quickly spread on social media, along with numerous false headlines.
The man told the Manchester Evening News he remained as calm as he could while co-operating with officers.
He added: “Someone called the police, they were worried I had a vest on. “I was jumping at this point.
“The police thought it was a bomb or something… whatever the caller said. They told me to put my phone down and go to bed. So I did what they said.
“They asked me to take off my vest, I took it off and moved to the right side. They handcuffed me. They took me to the police station and kept me there for a few hours, then I was free to go.”
Police at Mandley Park on Friday (Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
The man at the center of the storm said he understood why concerns were being raised in the heart of the Jewish community in Salford, about a mile from the site of the attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Community synagogue in Crumpsall last October.
“I told the police, ‘It’s better to be safe than sorry,'” he said. “I don’t blame the police, they were very nice to me. I was nice to them too, we work together. That’s why we pay our taxes, so we keep ourselves safe.
“Because it’s a Jewish area, I think people were scared, but I go there all the time. I go to the Jewish shops, I go there for my kids, there’s good food. I walk around here for like an hour, an hour and a half.”
GMP confirmed no further action was taken against the man.
Police said the incident was a “false alarm and there is no threat to the community.”
The man added: “It is. It happens sometimes, you know.”
Members of the Jewish community thanked the police for their quick response. A spokesman for Manchester Jewish Deputies Council said: “Thankfully, this has been declared a false alarm and there is no threat to our community.
“This incident is indicative of the levels of concern currently facing Jewish people around the world. Once again, we are grateful for GMP’s exemplary response and the professionalism of the Community Security Trust. We are lucky to be able to rely on these two amazing organizations to keep us safe.”
