Security alerts at two schools declared hoaxes

Security alerts at two school in Co Tyrone have been declared hoaxes.

Over 400 schoolgirls at Convent Grammar School in Strabane had to be sent home when a suspicious object was found outside the gates of the school on Wednesday morning.

Army bomb experts called to the scene to examine the suspect device, later declared the device a hoax.

Commenting on the incident, West Tyrone MLA, Eugene McMenamin hit out at the perpetrators behind the device. "The disruption caused by this hoax alert cannot be underestimated. If this incident is the responsibility of a dissident group then I would say very clearly that nothing can be achieved without dialogue and attacks like these will not be tolerated within our community."

Elsewhere, a security alert at a school in Dungannon led to one of the school's entrances being temporarily closed. The alert, which was also declared a hoax, led to the entrance to the Integrated College on the Gortmerron Link road being closed while the area was examined.

(MB)