Dungannon Court Alert Ends

A school and courthouse in Co Tyrone were closed today because of a security alert.

The incident, on Killyman Road, Dungannon, led to the closure of St Patrick's Primary.

Both it and the local courthouse were evacuated in this morning's security alert, which has now ended.

The PSNI said this afternoon that a suspicious object was spotted outside the courthouse shortly before 8.30am on Wednesday and had then to be examined by Army Technical Officers.

Police later declared it a false alarm and roads have now been reopened and residents allowed back into their homes.

The clearance operation came too late for both the school and the court as children had already been told not to attend and all today's court business at Dungannon Courthouse was either transferred or adjourned.

Magistrates Courts were transferred to Omagh Courthouse, Family and Civil cases to Craigavon Courthouse and a Care Tribunal was transferred to Omagh Courthouse.

The Crown Court had to be postponed until tomorrow after the alert.

Elsewhere, all court business scheduled for Thursday 25th and Friday 26th February at Newry Courthouse has been transferred to Armagh Courthouse.

The move follows a 250lb bomb blast at the facility on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, the PSNI have this morning re-opened a road in Co Armagh after they had investigated a second security alert in the town of Lurgan inside two days.

The Lurgan alert was initially sparked when a suspicious object was discovered in the Lake Street around 6.45am on Wednesday morning.

Lake Street was closed at the railway crossing and North Street was also shut as investigations were carried out.

As with yesterday, when the suspicious object found close to Lurgan college was declared an elaborate hoax, today's alert was also since described by police as a hoax.

Last night, a controlled explosion was carried out on a suspicious vehicle in the Rosevale Street area of north Belfast where nothing suspicious was found either.

(BMcC/GK)