Homes were evacuated in the Markets district of south Belfast during a security alert

THE PSNI have described a suspect object found in the Markets district of south Belfast as “a hoax.”

Police and army bomb experts attended the scene on Lower Stanfield Street just after 4 pm on Wednesday.

Just after 6pm, the area was declared safe following an examination by Army Technical Officers.

The object was taken away for further forensic examinations.

Residents evacuated out of their houses were allowed back to their homes shortly afterwards and the street later re-opened to traffic.