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Belfast bomb alert M2 and M3 motorways reopen Police 'frustrated' by alerts across NI
(40 minutes later)
A security alert which brought motorway traffic to a standstill in Belfast has ended. Police have condemned a number of security alerts which brought parts of Northern Ireland to a standstill on Friday.
Police investigated a car that had been abandoned under a motorway bridge at Dock street. The PSNI dealt with 14 alerts and closed a number of roads including the M2, M3 and the Westlink in Belfast.
The M2 and M3 were closed for a time but have now reopened. However, motorists are still being advised to avoid Brougham Street, Dock Street and the Garmoyle Street areas. Motorway traffic came to a halt as a controlled explosion was carried out on an abandoned van at Dock Street.
Police said they dealt with 14 alerts across Northern Ireland on Friday. In the latest incident, the railway line between Belfast and Lisburn is closed following an alert in Dunmurray.
Chief Superintendent Alan Todd said it was a difficult situation but it was improving. Army bomb experts are dealing with an suspicious object at a railway crossing at Ashley Park.
He added that alerts were "clearly designed and deliberately designed to inconvenience the public and to create a very difficult start to what should be an enjoyable bank holiday weekend for the communities across the province. Chief Superintendent Alan Todd said that alerts were "clearly designed and deliberately designed to inconvenience the public and to create a very difficult start to what should be an enjoyable bank holiday weekend for the communities across the province.
"We have responded to those incidents and we've done so quickly and efficiently with the object of getting people back on the move as quickly as possible." "We have responded to those incidents and we've done so quickly and efficiently with the object of getting people back on the move as quickly as possible," he added.
"It is frustrating. It has been a frustrating day. But not as frustrating as sitting in gridlock traffic."
HoaxesHoaxes
An alert at a railway crossing at Ashley Park in Dunmurry is ongoing. Trains between Belfast and Lisburn have been stopped and army bomb officers are on their way to the scene. There were several other alerts in Belfast and Londonderry, which were later declared hoaxes.
The Sydenham Bypass heading west/north towards the M3 is tailed back onto the A2 Belfast Road at the Holywood Exchange. The Westlink heading north is tailed back to Broadway.
For traffic coming into Belfast on the M2, the situation has now eased.
A security alert on the Strand Road in Londonderry has now ended.
Several of the security alerts that have caused disruption across Belfast have been declared hoaxes.
ATO examined a vehicle on Brougham Street and carried out a controlled explosion.ATO examined a vehicle on Brougham Street and carried out a controlled explosion.
Stockmans Way off Stockmans Lane was reopened after being closed due to a report of a suspicious object. Stockmans Way off Stockmans Lane was re-opened after being closed due to a report of a suspicious object. It was declared an elaborate hoax.
It was declared an elaborate hoax.
A number of people had to leave a shopping centre, during another alert in the Royal Avenue area of Belfast, but nothing was found in a police search.A number of people had to leave a shopping centre, during another alert in the Royal Avenue area of Belfast, but nothing was found in a police search.
There were also three bomb alerts in Newtownabbey which were all hoaxes. There were also three bomb alerts in Newtownabbey and one on the Strand Road in Derry, which were all hoaxes.
A suspicious device found at Finaghy Road North in Belfast near the railway line also turned out to be a hoax.A suspicious device found at Finaghy Road North in Belfast near the railway line also turned out to be a hoax.