Bomb Alert Follows NI Pipe Bomb Find

In the latest of a series of security alerts in Northern Ireland, the PSNI has just reported that a suspicious object has been discovered in the Fairview Parade area of Newtownabbey, a suburban area of Co Antrim to the north of Belfast.

A small number of houses have been evacuated in Glengormley's Fairview Parade and Fairview Avenue and Army bomb experts are attending the scene.

Earlier, three viable pipe bombs were dealt with by Army experts in Antrim town, following a spate of security alerts in the area on Friday.

Army Technical Officers examined the items, which were found at a house in Donegore Drive.

They are now believed to be pipe bombs and have been removed for further testing.

Earlier, Antrim town had been hit by several security alerts with around 20 homes evacuated this morning as police deal with the suspicious objects.

Residents from the Donegore Drive and Donegore Walk areas had to leave their homes due to the alert.

Also today, a suspicious item was found close to a GAA club on the town's Dunsilly Road, but it has since been discovered to be a piece of tubing containing a firework.

An alert in the Culnafeigh Green area is also now over after nothing suspicious was found.

A police spokesperson said that residents are being warned to be vigilant and report anything they think is suspicious.

Today's news came in the same week as the PSNI was tasked to similar incidents and had investigated the discovery of a suspicious device in the Bushford Manor area - also in Antrim.

That security alert was later declared "a hoax" after the Army carried out a controlled explosion in the Steeple Road area and residents, who were evacuated during the incident on Monday morning, were later allowed back to their homes.

See: Fresh Alerts As Dissidents Condemned

(BMcC/GK)