Two men were on the run after being sprung from a prison van today, police said.
The van came under attack shortly after 9am on Regent Road, Salford, a main road into Manchester around half a mile from the city's crown court and Strangeways prison.
Police said two men were freed from the vehicle and the response is "ongoing", with a large number of officers deployed to the area.
Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan said: "To reassure those that live nearby there is a significant police presence in the area.
"At this stage we do not believe that there is any on-going threat to the community and we would appeal to anyone who has any information to contact the police as soon as possible."
The brazen rush-hour raid took place just off the same stretch of road as a similar attack on a prison van.
Liverpool gangsters Tony Downes and Kirk Bradley escaped in the ambush in July 2011 as they were being taken from Strangeways jail to their trial al Liverpool Crown Court.
The brazen rush-hour raid took place just off the same stretch of road as a similar attack on a prison van.
Liverpool gangsters Tony Downes and Kirk Bradley escaped in the ambush in July 2011 as they were being taken from Strangeways jail to their trial al Liverpool Crown Court.
