Write a comment
A major security incident was sparked in Newry this afternoon following a report of suspicious activity in the area.
An extensive search was carried out in the grounds of the old Abbey school, just off Courtney Hill in the city, but it was stood down around 3pm when nothing untoward was found.
The area contains St Clare's Abbey Primary School as well as the Southern Area Hospice and traffic was disrupted in the area for a time.
A large contingent of the PSNI's Armed Response Unit were on the scene for over an hour accompanied by sniffer dogs and regular police. Air support was provided by the PSNI helicopter.
In a short statement on the alert the PSNI spokesperson said "Officers attended and conducted a search of the area. Nothing untoward was found. The public are thanked for their understanding while police conducted these enquiries.
"The public are thanked for their understanding while police conducted these enquiries."
Speaking of the alert MLA Justin McNulty said “This security alert caused significant disruption to people in Newry today. Police responded to reports of suspicious activity in the area and concerns that an unidentified male was carrying a suspicious object on this derelict site.
“This area is close to both St Clare’s Abbey Primary School and Newry Hospice and both sites were affected by this incident. I’ve spoken to staff at both the school and hospice and everyone is ok."
