THREE people have been arrested after a suspicious item was found in an abandoned car last week.

Police discovered an abandoned silver Audi A6 on Car Bank Street in Atherton, shortly before 11am on Thursday.

After further inspection, officers found a suspicious item in the car and called for further assistance.

Bomb disposal officers attended and assessed the item.

A police cordon was put in place and a small number of homes were evacuated as a precaution while the scene was assessed.

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The discovered item was taken away for further analysis after being deemed safe to move.

The item, which has not been identified by police, is being investigated by specialist officers.

And this afternoon, Tuesday, police confirmed two men - aged 25 and 45 - and a 35-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of possession of an explosive substance for an unlawful purpose.

They are being questioned by officers.