Police continue to investigate Pride flag bomb hoaxes at homes of Alliance members in Portrush

An Alliance spokesperson said: "Alliance can confirm these security alerts involved a hoax device at the home of Councillor Peter McCully and another alert at the home of a former party Councillor.

"We utterly condemn those behind these appalling attacks and call on all other parties to do likewise. Nobody should face this kind of threat when simply doing their job. In addition, local residents have been left facing huge disruption due to their irresponsible actions of a few who represent nobody other than themselves.

"This has echoes of both the dark days of our troubled past and more recent times, when homes and offices of Alliance elected representatives were targeted for once again simply doing our job. The addition of a Pride flag adds an extra sinister edge.

"It is clear some are still not getting the message this reckless violence is not welcome in Northern Ireland.

"We urge anyone with information on these incidents to contact police with it immediately."

The PSNI said that a suspicious object had been found wrapped in a pride flag in Hopefield Avenue at around 7.30pm on Thursday and on Friday police said they were looking into a second object nearby.

Detective Chief Inspector Hamilton said: “The placement of these devices has caused untold disruption to the lives of local people, many of whom have had to leave their homes while we made sure the area was safe for them.

"Those responsible care nothing for the impact they have on communities nor do they care about the fear and uncertainty their actions cause.

“Such attempts to intimidate and threaten are completely unacceptable. Detectives are now robustly investigating and would ask anyone with information, or anyone who may have captured footage in the area of Hopefield Avenue, to please get in touch by calling 101 and quoting incident number 1829 of 29/06/23.”

You can also submit information and/or upload videos, images and dash cam footage onto the Major Incident Public Portalat https://mipp.police.uk/operation/PSNI23B03-PO1Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org