Suspicious object that brought Omagh to a halt ‘nothing untoward’

The town centre alert led to the closure of a number of roads and businesses near Strule Arts Centre - where the object was discovered.

High Street, George’s Street and Bridge Street were closed to traffic, while a number of businesses were evacuated and members of the public advised to avoid Omagh town centre.

Chief Inspector Graham Dodds said: “I am aware of the disruption that this security operation has caused and I would like to thank everyone who co-operated and worked with our officers.

“I understand that incidents such as this are very disruptive for those in the town and I would like pay tribute to all who worked with my officers this morning to ensure disruption was minimal.

“We greatly appreciate the support and co-operation from the local businesses and people in the community and regret any inconvenience caused.

“Public safety is of paramount importance to us and we are all too aware of the current threat level and must take cognisance of this in our approach to such incidents to ensure everyone is kept safe. As such I would want to take this opportunity to remind members of the public of the dangers of leaving unattended items in public places.”