Trevor Lunn MLA said: “Alerts of this nature cause real disruption and it is deeply frustrating that this alert meant that people had to be evacuated from their homes into a local community hall.
“People want to be able to get on with their everyday business without having to face with problems like this. Northern Ireland is moving forward to a brighter future and the public want to see an end to incidents like this for good.
“It’s difficult to fathom the mindset of those who would create an elaborate hoax like this as they can cause massive annoyance for the community. Anyone that can assist police with their investigation into this should contact them immediately.”
ENDS