Newtownards: security alert has now ended

A security alert in Newtownards has ended with police saying "nothing untoward" found.

At one stage residents in the Brewery Lane area were evacuated from their homes while the PSNI carried out an investigation.

A police spokesperson said: "We were made aware of a suspicious vehicle in the area shortly after 4.30am today, Thursday, 4th September. Our officers attended and a safety operation was put in place. The road and surrounding area was closed to motorists for a couple of hours and a number of local residents were evacuated from their homes.

“A thorough search of the area has been conducted and, thankfully, nothing untoward has been found.

“We would like to thank the public for their patience and cooperation. Closing roads causes disruption and inconvenience particularly at this busy time of the day but, ultimately, public safety is our priority.

"We would always encourage people who see something suspicious or odd, not to approach and contact us immediately on 999.

“Our enquiries remain ongoing and anyone with information which could assist with our investigation is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 157 04/09/25 .”