Guns and explosives found as security alert ends

A man in his 30s has been arrested in connection with a security alert in north Belfast, which has now ended after three days.

The alert was triggered on Friday morning, after a suspicious object was discovered in a property in Victoria Parade.

Some residents who had to leave their homes were housed in a council facility, which caused “huge disruption” within the community, police said.

During searches, Ammunition Technical Officers (ATO) carried out a number of controlled explosions on multiple objects located throughout the property, which included suspected explosive devices and firearms.

Some of these have been removed from the property and will be sent for further forensic examination.

Residents have been allowed to returned to their homes and roads in the area have re-opened.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Ch Insp Pete Cunningham said a man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of a number of offences and remains in custody.

“This was an extremely distressing experience for residents, who had to deal with the huge disruption to their community alongside the discomfort and inconvenience of being put out of their homes,” he said.

“I would like to thank everyone affected for their patience while we worked to make the area safe.”

Police appealed for those with information to contact them.