Homes have been evacuated in Newtownards following the discovery of a suspicious object at a flat in a residential area.
The security alert began on Tuesday afternoon when the object was found in the Rosevale Avenue area of the town.
The roads was closed to motorists and pedestrians, while Ammunition Technical Officers arrived at the scene to examine the object.
A PSNI spokesperson said: “A number of nearby homes have been evacuated while an examination of the object is carried out and officers would ask members of the public to avoid the area at this time. Further updates will be provided in due course.”
Newtownards DUP councillor Naomi Armstrong-Cotter, who lives close to the scene of the alert, told the Irish News: “This is an unwelcome disruption for residents forced from their homes. I’m a mother at home with a sick child, and if I was further down the road myself, we would have been forced to leave too.
“It’s disgusting that this is happening within our community, and I hope this can be resolved as soon as possible and people allowed to return home safely.”
