Antrim Bomb Alert 'Elaborate Hoax'

Those behind a suspicious device found in Antrim this morning have been roundly condemned.

The bomb alert which saw a number of families moved from their homes in Antrim has since ended and been declared an elaborate hoax.

The alert was raised in the Bush Manor area of the town on Friday morning and was the latest of a long-running series of such incidents, with some families have having to leave their homes.

The Steeple Road between Stiles Road and the Bush road had been closed and a number of nearby houses evacuated with the Army sent to the scene this morning.

The Alliance South Antrim MLA David Ford - who is also the Justice Minister - and a local Antrim councillor, Neil Kelly has condemned those behind the incident.

David Ford MLA said: "I am outraged at those behind this suspicious device.

"There can be no justification for leaving a device anywhere. It was never right during the Troubles and it is still not right today.

"The people responsible for this device obviously have no regard for the consequences of their actions. They must be stopped before they cause serious injuries or worse," he said.

Alliance Cllr Neil Kelly said: "I would call on those responsible for these suspicious devices to stop. The people in Antrim don't want this. The whole community has voiced their opposition to incidents like these in the past and they will do the same for today's incident.

"If anybody has any information about this device then I would urge them to contact the police," he concluded.

The SDLP Antrim Cllr Grainne Teggart has also said people are distressed having been evacuated from their homes due to a security alert in the Bush Manor area of Antrim.

"This has been a very distressing experience for families who have had to flee their homes in wet conditions.

"Those responsible for this device have caused fear and inconvenience to innocent people. Their callous actions are totally unjustifiable and only serve to unite people in their opposition to terror.

"I strongly appeal to anyone with information on this device to pass it onto the PSNI immediately."

See: Glengormley Alert After Antrim Pipe Bomb Find

(BMcC/GK)