Army technical officers make safe a viabl device in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim

RENEGADE loyalists are being blamed for leaving a ‘viable device’ in Co Antrim on Monday morning disrupting children going to school and rush hour traffic.

Army technical officers carried out a controlled explosion after being called to the scene at Cherrylands in the Cloughfern area of Newtownabbey to deal with a suspicious object.

The scene was close to the former Nortel telecommunications factory on the Doagh Road.

Police have confirmed that it was a ‘viable device’ has been taken away for forensic examination.

The nearby Valley Leisure Centre was made avaiable to residents forced to leave their homes.

Evacuatd residents have been allowed to return to their homes and roads in the area have been reopened.

The PSNI’s Serious Crime Branch is now investigating those behind leaving the device in a residential area.

One line of inquiry is that the device was left by members of a breakaway renegade UDA faction.

Earlier this year, the same group was blamed for attacks on the police during Union flag protests.

It was also involved in leaving both viable bombs and hoax devices in and around Cloughfern corner.

Anyone with information about who was behind leaving the ‘viable device’ on Monday morning is asked to contact the PSNI on 0845 600 8000 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.