A hoaxer has targeted Manchester United players for the second time in a week after sending a suspicious package to the club's training ground, police said today.

Officers were called to the team's Carrington training ground on Wednesday after a member of staff opened a parcel containing an "unidentified substance".

The previous day the complex was at the centre of a security scare after a similar package was received.

Police said they believed the same person was responsible for both incidents.

A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said: "Further suspicious packages were discovered on Wednesday May 2nd at the Manchester United training ground at Carrington.

"This followed a call on Tuesday May 1st following reports that an unidentified substance had been discovered in an envelope delivered to the address.

"At this stage it would appear that all of the packages have been sent by the same person.

"Tests have been carried out on the substance and it has now been established that it was not harmful. Officers are continuing to investigate the origins of these packages. No-one has been injured during these incidents."

Specialist police and firefighters were called to the scene to deal with the packages, which are understood to have been addressed to Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The complex in Trafford, Greater Manchester, was immediately sealed off as officers investigated.

Staff at the training ground have been told to be vigilant following the security scares.