Woman held after security alert at Belfast housing estate

A 57-year-old woman has been arrested and a number of items seized in a suspected explosives find in a house.

A security alert was put in place for several hours in the Twinbrook area on the outskirts of Belfast after officers raided the property on Broom Close.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said detectives from the serious crime branch launched the operation as part of investigations into dissident republicans.

Items removed from the house were examined by technical officers and were taken away for forensic tests.

Local Sinn Féin councillor Stephen Magennis said he had been told there were explosives in the property on Broom Close.

“Residents were going to be evacuated but myself and Jennifer McCann (MLA) got it resolved that the residents could stay in their homes. Alert still ongoing and we will support residents until it’s over,” he said.

PA