More than 400 homes have been evacuated in Newtownards on Sunday as police continue with a clearance operation following the discovery of a suspected historic piece of munition.

A senior PSNI officer said that while it was appreciated the operation is causing disruption, the priority is to keep residents safe.

North Down and Ards District Commander Superintendent Johnston McDowell said: “I would like to thank all those impacted residents, who we have spoken to in relation to the ongoing public safety operation in the Rivenwood area of the town.

"In excess of 400 homes have been affected by this operation. This is a significant number of properties, and we thank residents for their patience and understanding.

Army and police deal with a suspected piece historic munition which was discovered on a building site in the the Rivenwood housing development area of Newtownards, Co. Down. Picture: Jonathan Porter/PressEye

placeholder image — Army and police deal with a suspected piece historic munition which was discovered on a building site in the the Rivenwood housing development area of Newtownards, Co. Down. Picture: Jonathan Porter/PressEye

"I would like to state that if home owners or residents have not been spoken to directly by police, or received information in relation to this matter, it’s unlikely that they will be impacted by the clearance operation at this time.

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"It is anticipated at this stage that the operation will continue for a number of days. A police cordon is in place and motorists are advised to continue to avoid the area.

"I appreciate the disruption that this has caused, however keeping people safe is paramount, and we will not take any risks. I want to thank those who may be affected for their patience at this time.

"We will continue to minimise any further disruption, as our priority is to keep residents and the local community safe.”