A security alert in the Brewery Lane area of Newtownards has ended with nothing untoward found.

Inspector Youle said: “We were made aware of a suspicious vehicle in the area shortly after 4.30am today, Thursday 4th September. Our officers attended and a safety operation was put in place. The road and surrounding area was closed to motorists for a couple of hours and a number of local residents were evacuated from their homes.

“A thorough search of the area has been conducted and, thankfully, nothing untoward has been found.

“We would like to thank the public for their patience and cooperation. Closing roads causes disruption and inconvenience particularly at this busy time of the day but, ultimately, public safety is our priority.

"We would always encourage people who see something suspicious or odd, not to approach and contact us immediately on 999.

“Our enquiries remain ongoing and anyone with information which could assist with our investigation is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 157 04/09/25 .”