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| Police 'frustrated' by bomb alerts across NI | Police 'frustrated' by bomb alerts across NI |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Police have condemned a number of security alerts which brought parts of Northern Ireland to a standstill on Friday. | Police have condemned a number of security alerts which brought parts of Northern Ireland to a standstill on Friday. |
| The PSNI dealt with 14 alerts and closed a number of roads including the M2, M3 and the Westlink in Belfast. | The PSNI dealt with 14 alerts and closed a number of roads including the M2, M3 and the Westlink in Belfast. |
| Motorway traffic came to a halt as a controlled explosion was carried out on an abandoned van at Dock Street. | Motorway traffic came to a halt as a controlled explosion was carried out on an abandoned van at Dock Street. |
| In the latest incident, the rail line between Belfast and Lisburn was closed following an alert in Dunmurray. | |
| Army bomb experts dealt with a report of a suspicious object at a crossing at Ashley Park. However, nothing untoward was found and the line has re-opened. | |
| Police said that Fire Service vehicles and ambulances had been caught up in the traffic disruption with potentially fatal consequences. | |
| 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. | 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," he added. | "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 it would be stuck in gridlock traffic in Belfast city." | "It is frustrating. It has been a frustrating day. But not as frustrating as it would be stuck in gridlock traffic in Belfast city." |
| Hoaxes | Hoaxes |
| Mr Todd criticised those behind the alerts for causing "disruption and mayhem to their fellow citizens". | Mr Todd criticised those behind the alerts for causing "disruption and mayhem to their fellow citizens". |
| "The people responsible need to put themselves forward and explain what they have to offer communities across the province, because everyone seems to be at a loss as to what it has achieved," he added. | "The people responsible need to put themselves forward and explain what they have to offer communities across the province, because everyone seems to be at a loss as to what it has achieved," he added. |
| There were several other alerts in Belfast and Londonderry, which were later declared hoaxes. | There were several other alerts in Belfast and Londonderry, which were later 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 re-opened after being closed due to a report of a suspicious object. It was declared an elaborate hoax. | 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. |
| 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 and one on the Strand Road in Derry, 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. |
| DUP Policing Board Member, Ian McCrea said the people responsible for the disruption were "beneath contempt". | DUP Policing Board Member, Ian McCrea said the people responsible for the disruption were "beneath contempt". |
| SDLP MLA Mark Durkan said there "was no justification whatsoever for this activity". | SDLP MLA Mark Durkan said there "was no justification whatsoever for this activity". |
| Chief Superintendent Mark Hamilton thanked the public for their patience. | Chief Superintendent Mark Hamilton thanked the public for their patience. |
| "I would like to express his gratitude for the manner in which members of the public responded to hours of disruption," he added. | "I would like to express his gratitude for the manner in which members of the public responded to hours of disruption," he added. |