Security alert that led to evacuations declared 'elaborate hoax'

An object that sparked a security alert that saw residents moved from their homes in Omagh has been declared an elaborate hoax.

Residents of houses, flats and fold accommodation were out of their homes from the early hours of Friday until the early afternoon.

It followed the discovery of a suspicious object in Culmore Park.

The item was examined by Army bomb experts and has now been taken away for further forensic testing and the alert has ended.

A suspicious object was found on Friday morning

Police thanked the local community for their patience while the device was dealt with.

A local community centre opened for those affected.

One resident, Joe, who is in his 70s, was moved from his home in fold accommodation in the early hours of this morning.

Joe, who is in his 70s, was moved from his home in fold accommodation in the early hours of this morning

At about 12:35 BST, he was told he could return to his home despite some cordons remaining in place. He spent several hours in the community centre.

He said when police knocked he "thought it was hooligans banging at my door".

"You just drop everything, no mobile, no clothes, no nothing. I even left my wallet behind me so I couldn't even go to the shop to buy a meal," he added.

Joe said: "I'm in my 70s and whatever else… it's usually older people that's in this particular building [where he lives] and it's put a whole disruption on them of where to go, what to do.

"We live beside this community centre and they offered to make us tea or whatever else."

'Atmosphere of calm'

Sinn Féin councillor Barry McElduff visited some of the people moved from their homes.

"Obviously a huge amount of inconvenience to local people in the early hours of the morning – the middle of the night effectively," he told BBC News NI.

"We don't know the nature of the alert right now, but people do not need disruption of this or any other kind."

DUP councillor Errol Thompson condemned those responsible for the security alert.

He said Omagh had "suffered enough over many years, due to acts of terrorism".

"This just brings back all the trauma of the past decades," he added.

Thompson asked anyone with information to contact the police.