County Tyrone: Suspected firearm found in security alert

A number of homes were evacuated after a report of a suspicious object in the Drum Road area on Monday morning

Police have recovered a suspected firearm after a security alert near Cookstown, County Tyrone.

A number of homes were evacuated after a report of a suspicious object in the Drum Road area just before 10:00 (GMT) on Monday.

A section of the road was closed but has since reopened and residents have now returned to their homes.

Police said the suspected firearm has been removed from the scene for further examination.

'Significant disruption'

One of the MLAs for Mid Ulster, Patsy McGlone, said the alert had caused significant disruption.

"There are a number of homes and businesses located in the vicinity of this alert and this is the last thing people want to be dealing with when trying to go about their lives," the SDLP MLA said.

He added: "Nobody wants to see scenes like this in our community.

"People in this area want to live in peace without incidents like this getting in the way."