Alert brings disruption

In the early hours of Monday morning it was reported that a suspicious object had been seen in the Lake Street area.

Army Technical Officers declared the device a hoax at around dinner time, but not before police had come under attack from stone throwers. Officers were also targeted with petrol bombs and a blast bomb.

Seven families in Lake Street were evacuated during the alert while Lake Street and the section of Antrim Road closest to Lake Street were closed to traffic. Train services were disrupted for a large part of the morning.

Traffic in the town was also significantly affected with lengthy tailbacks on Victoria Street and off the Castor Bay Road leading to Annesborough Industrial Estate.