Ms O’Lynn was speaking after the discovery of the suspicious object in the Cushendall Road area of the town this afternoon. The area was sealed off between the roundabout and Dunclug Park. The object was declared a hoax by army technical officers before the road was reopened.
“Hoax alerts such as these do nothing but cause disruption to local people, who are subject to disturbance thanks to the actions of those behind them,” she said.
“They are also a serious drain on the resources of the authorities who have to respond. The people behind this incident must be caught and I would urge anyone with information to give it to police immediately.”