MP Margaret Ritchie deeply concerned hoax bomb alert at Newcastle Orange Hall

A security alert in a seaside town was a hoax, police say.

Army technical officers carried out a controlled explosion on a suspicious object found found at an Orange Hall close to the Shimna Road and Bryansford Road.

The alert caused major traffic in the town on Wednesday evening as roads were closed.

SDLP South Down MP Margaret Ritchie said: “Orangemen are entitled to enjoy their premises as anyone else should be and unjustifiable threats of this nature are totally wrong.