A 39-YEAR-OLD man has been charged following a security alert in Derry.

The man is to appear before Derry Magistrate's Court on Saturday charged with possession of explosives in suspicious circumstances.

The charges come after a suspicious object was found in Ederowen Park in the Galliagh area on Wednesday night.

Up to 15 families were evacuated from their homes during the alert.

A police spokesman said the 39-year-old was arrested on Thursday morning during a search of a house in Ederowen Park.