Police deal with suspect alert in Co Antrim

POLICE have come under attack on Friday night with  petrol bombs in Co Antrim.

The attack came during a Union flag protest in Newtownabbey.

It follows a number of union protests across Northern Ireland on Friday, most of which have been peaceful.

Up to a dozen petrol bombs, stones and bottles were thrown at officers in Cloughfern Avenue.

A further 19 petrol bombs have been seized by police during the trouble.

Earlier, a suspicious object was thrown at a police vehicle. Army bomb teams are examining the object which resembled a pipe bomb.

Following the examination, ATO declared the device a hoax.

Roads in the area have now been reopened and the PSNI have thanked the public for their patience while the device was examined, forcing a number of roads to be closed.