Tuesday 17 May 2016 07:29, UK
The boss of a security firm says he was responsible for the 'fake bomb' that caused Manchester United's clash with Bournemouth to be abandoned.
Chris Reid, managing director of Security Search Management & Solutions Ltd, said he had forgotten to remove a dummy bomb from one of Old Trafford's men's toilets after a training exercise on Wednesday.
Reid revealed the oversight occurred as he had seen a similar device already placed in his bag before he left the ground.
Old Trafford had to be evacuated in the hour before United's final Premier League match of the season, with Bournemouth now having to travel back to Manchester for a rearranged match on Tuesday night.
A controlled explosion was carried out on what police called an "incredibly lifelike" training device which had sparked a red alert, with United defending their actions in a statement on Monday which said they had been left with no choice but to call the game off.
"This mistake is entirely mine. I have to take full responsibility for leaving a training item behind on Wednesday," said Reid, a retired Scotland Yard police officer.
"I am absolutely devastated that a lapse in my working protocols has resulted in many people being disappointed, frightened and inconvenienced. Nothing I can say will rectify that.
"Unfortunately an item that was placed in the male WC was not recovered, as I had a similar item that I had not used.
"I saw this and made the mistake in thinking that the item in the WC had been brought back when found by the attendees as had other items I had checked into the bag.
"This item concerned was a mock-up of a pipe bomb, it was approx eight inches long, brass fittings at each end, a length of black flexible lead and a mobile phone taped to the pipe with black tape.
"The item had a small white label on it which said: 'training aid if found contact ssms and my telephone number'."
