Police update following the discovery of a suspected historic piece of munition in the Rivenwood area of Newtownards.

Superintendent Johnston McDowell said:  “I’d like to provide the public with an update regarding the current status of the live operation taking place in the Rivenwood area of Newtownards.

“A large number of homes have been evacuated over the last two days, as police commenced an evacuation operation following the discovery of a suspected historic piece of munition on Thursday 15th August, just after 11am.

“In excess of 400 homes have been affected by this operation which is a significant number of properties, and partners and I would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding as the operation continues.  

“If home owners or residents have not been spoken to directly by police, or have not received information in relation to this matter, it’s unlikely that they will be impacted by the clearance operation at this time.

Superintendent McDowell continued: “The operation has now moved into the mitigation phase and work has commenced on establishing protection to nearby properties and facilities.

“There is no definite timescale, however previous operations of this nature have shown that this type of operation commonly takes five days or more before the area is safe to enter.

“A police cordon remains in place and will do for the duration of the operation, with road users being advised to continue to avoid the area.

“Whilst I appreciate the frustration and disruption that this has caused, keeping people safe is paramount and we will not take any risks.

“If you have been affected by this incident, please read the FAQ document in this link: www.psni.police.uk/rivenwood .”