The match between Manchester United and Bournemouth was called off after the device was found shortly before kick-off. Bomb disposal officers were called and carried out a controlled explosion.

Police said the item had "accidentally" been left by a private company after a training exercise on Wednesday.

The Premier League match has been rearranged for Tuesday at 20:00 BST.

Greater Manchester's Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd called the situation "unacceptable" and wants an "urgent" inquiry to discover "how this happened, why it happened and who will be held accountable".

He added: "This fiasco caused massive inconvenience to supporters who had come from far and wide to watch the match, wasted the time of huge numbers of police officers and the army's bomb squad, and unnecessarily put people in danger, as evacuating tens of thousands of people from a football stadium is not without risk."

United will be refunding all tickets and allowing ticket holders from both clubs in for free on Tuesday night. Manchester United season ticket holders will also be given a credit.

It is estimated this gesture will cost United around £3m.

Bournemouth expect to make an announcement on arrangements for their travelling fans on Monday.

-BBC News