Security alert in west Belfast declared an elaborate hoax
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
Police and ATO at scene of a security alert in the Islandbawn Drive area of west Belfast following discovery of suspicious object on December 24th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)
The PSNI said the object was examined and declared an elaborate hoax.
Officers thanked the public for their patience while they worked to make the area safe.
Sinn Fein MP Paul Maskey condemned those behind the alert.
Ongoing incident in Islandbawn Street -PSNI checking on suspicious device. Dreadful that some people have been put out of their homes on Christmas Eve. Hopefully it will be resolved soon @SDLPlive
He told the Belfast Telegraph: "First of all it's a suspicious device found in the street and whoever left that there I want to condemn outright and especially on Christmas Eve.
"It is a small street and thankfully there are only a small number of homes on it.
"But there has been a number of people asked to leave their homes because of the potential danger."
SDLP councillor Tim Attwood said the alert caused chaos.
He said: “It’s unthinkable that families have been forced from their homes on Christmas Eve as police investigate a suspicious object in west Belfast."
Ongoing incident in Islandbawn Street -PSNI checking on suspicious device. Dreadful that some people have been put out of their homes on Christmas Eve. Hopefully it will be resolved soon @SDLPlive
