Large crowd descends on Manchester shopping centre 'and set off fireworks and alarms'

Christmas shopping descended into chaos outside a major shopping centre where fireworks and alarms were set off, amid large crowds.

Huge crowds of youngsters were seen gathering outside the Arndale in Manchester on Sunday evening (27 November), where they are also said to have blocked tram lines.

Some of the youngsters were said to be causing havoc inside the centre where they set off alarms, prompting a visit by police to disperse the crowd which witnesses claimed to be as big as 700.

Councillor Pat Karney, tweeted a video from Exchange Square on Sunday evening showing the huge crowds forming beside the doorway and along the tram line, with security staff in high-vis jackets also present.

Councillor Karney, spokesperson for the city centre, said: "It is a Christmas headache that we don't need. There must have been around 700 of them.

"The majority have just been parading up and down Cross Street and Market Street, the problems mainly lie with the minority who have been setting off alarms in the Arndale and throwing fireworks around.

"Others have been standing on the tram tracks in Exchange Square and staff have had to pilot trams in and out."

Transport for Greater Manchester said the large crowds did not cause any 'operational issues' but trams were having to pass through Exchange Square 'slowly', with people moving off the tracks as trams approached.

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