Suspicious object declared 'hoax' as security alert ends

The entrance to the industrial park was cordoned off

A suspicious object, which prompted a security alert in County Down, has been declared a hoax, police have said.

Homes in Cathedral Gardens, Downpatrick were evacuated after the object was found in an industrial estate at about 07:00 BST on Saturday morning.

Ammunition Technical Officers attended the scene on the Ballydugan Road where the object was later found to be a hoax. The alert has now ended.

It has since been removed from the scene for further forensic examinations, and residents have been allowed to return home.