Old Trafford was evacuated and a controlled explosion carried out on the item which was found before United were due to face Bournemouth.
|||London - The fake bomb that triggered a huge security scare and the abandonment of a Manchester United match was discovered by a supporter as he sat on a toilet.
Old Trafford was evacuated and a controlled explosion carried out on the item which was found before United were due to face Bournemouth in their last Premier League game of the season.
As revealed by MailOnline on Sunday night, the ‘bomb’ was a realistic fake left behind after a training exercise last Wednesday.
And now it has emerged security staff missed the device - a mobile phone attached to piping - on their pre-match sweep, leaving a supporter to raise the alarm as he went to the toilet.
The dummy, one of 14 used on the training exercise, was attached to the back of a cubicle door in toilets used by occupants of the executive ‘Club 100’ suite in the north-west of the 76,000-capacity stadium.
It is understood the cubicle was checked by a member of security staff, who did not look behind the door.
The ground was evacuated 20 minutes before the scheduled 3pm kick-off.
United are not expected to sack any members of staff following the howler, but will change search procedures to ensure such a blunder is not repeated.
They are laying the blame for the fiasco at the door of security expert Chris Reid, whose Kent-based company Security Search Management & Solutions Ltd carried out the midweek exercise which saw the item left at the stadium. In a statement, United’s executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said: ‘The contractor had signed the device as having been recovered along with the 13 other devices at the end of the exercise.
‘Once a live situation was identified, the club and police had no option but to treat the matter as a potential terror threat. We could not have assumed it was a training exercise error. Presented with the same situation in the future, we would take the same action.
‘The safety of the fans is our No 1 aim at every event we host at Old Trafford. Overall, I’m proud of how our staff responded.’
Mr Reid said on Monday he was still waiting to hear from United but admitted fearing he would be ‘hung out to dry’.
The terror alert could cost United up to £4million and sources admitted the ‘idiot’ who left the fake bomb was ‘in for a right kicking’.
Mr Reid has admitted he was in a five-man team who used the fake bombs last week but believes the club did not need to abandon the match on Sunday.
He said: ‘I’m sure they’re having meetings at the moment to see which guillotine they’re going to use on me.’
Retired Scotland Yard police chief Mr Reid, who worked on security at London 2012, told The Daily Telegraph: ‘Look, they didn’t need to evacuate the stadium. It was an inanimate device.’
Fans were left in tears and some abandoned bags and coats in the rush to leave the ground, fearing their lives were at risk.
Mr Reid’s company were sub-contracted to work with a sniffer dog team run by Deacons Canines and United had no contact with him.
United’s agreement with Deacons is expected to be reviewed in an ongoing investigation. Mr Reid added: ‘There’s a lot I want to say to the fans, but I don’t want to do that now.
‘I’ve actually spoken to a couple of people who were there and they said, “Don’t worry about it, everybody was fine”. No-one was injured, and I’m really sorry they had to miss their game.’
Asked to confirm his job title, Mr Reid said: ‘I’m the managing director of Security Search Management & Solutions Ltd, which is probably about to go into liquidation.’
Mr Reid was carrying a saw and told reporters: ‘I’m just fixing my roof while I’ve still got one. I can’t say anything.’
Mr Reid worked previously for G4S, where he was responsible for training guards involved in screening vehicles and visitors at the London Olympics.
The company faced enormous criticism and chief executive Nick Buckles resigned after the army was drafted in to provide back-up because G4S had failed to provide the necessary staff. United are not expected to face any sanctions from the Premier League. Executive chairman Richard Scudamore was at the ground for the game and was consulted over the evacuation.
The match has been rescheduled for this evening, with an 8pm kick-off. Those who had tickets, including season-ticket holders, have been refunded and will be allowed to attend for free.
Bournemouth are laying on free coach travel for those who wish to make the 250-mile journey.
United are considering their options with regards to legal action to recoup lost monies. Greater Manchester Police will not be making any additional charges.
Manchester Mayor Tony Lloyd described the scare as ‘shambolic’, adding that the club should be ‘up front’ with supporters and be prepared to ‘grovel’.
Daily Mail
