Homes evacuated amid 'unstable bomb' alert

Nearly 50 families were evacuated as police dealt with a major security alert in Northern Ireland today.

Dissident republicans opposed to the peace process claimed a bomb which they abandoned in north Belfast is now unstable.

Part of the Antrim Road was blocked off as Army explosives experts checked out a large improvised device which is believed to have been found in the Glandore area, not far from a police station.

Several businesses also had to stay shut.

Families forced to leave their homes spent the night in a nearby church hall, and police warned it could be late this afternoon before they get back.

Chief Superintendent Mark Hamilton said: "There is no way I'm going to open the road again until I'm sure there is no risk of death or injury to anybody living or working in that area.

"We've received a number of calls over a 24-hour period and the last one in particular led us to believe we were looking for an unexploded bomb in an unstable condition."