An army bomb disposal team is attending an incident at a college in Trafford, Greater Manchester Police said
The force said it was too early to say whether the alert is linked to its investigation into the Manchester bomb attack.
It said several roads were closed and officers were "currently assessing the situation".
A student from another college to the south of the scene where the army unit was sent posted a picture on Twitter showing a plume of smoke.
It was not immediately clear whether the smoke was coming from the area where the alert was - around Linby Street and Jackson Crescent.
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