POLICE have confirmed a security alert that forced people to leave their homes in the bitter cold and frost was a hoax.
In the Balbane Pass area of Co. Derry, an incident was reported that seemed to be suspicious which required the presence of ATO officers, the team who deal with explosives to tackle the report.
Officers called to the scene and removed the suspected device for examination, however after it has been found the call for the bomb squad was defunct.
According to Belfast Telegraph, the area was shut down and residents urged to leave their homes because of the bomb scare but after work done by the ATO and police force, all is well and safe.
The removal of families from their homes, however, is not an occurrence that the police want to enforce, according to Mark H Durkan of the SDLP.
The politician condemned those who caused the hoax: "Parents were forced to take their young children into the freezing snow by those with no consideration or care for this community...
"Those behind this alert have caused serious disruption at a busy time of year for these families and should be ashamed of their actions."
