Alert ends at Newtownabbey church

Published Sunday, 17 March 2013
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A security alert near a Catholic Church in Newtownabbey has been declared a hoax.

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Police attended the scene at St Mary's Star of the Sea on the Shore Road on Sunday morning.

Army bomb experts examined a suspicious object and a number of homes were evacuated during the alert, which has now ended.

The Shore Road has re-opened.

Mass had to be moved to another church last month after a previous hoax bomb alert in the area.

Parish Priest Father Anthony Alexander told UTV it was the third time the church has been targeted.

"I'm very annoyed with the whole thing because I can't understand why they are picking on our church," he said.

"We have been worshipping there since 1967. It's very disruptive to all the people, especially the elderly who come to the church; it really upsets them."

The priest said he had to try and move the service to another church again due to the hoax.

Local Sinn Féin Councillor Gerry O'Reilly condemned the alert as an attempt to disrupt and intimidate the Catholic community in the Newtownabbey area.

"This is the lowest point of sectarianism when people's place of worship is targeted," he said.

"I would call on all political parties and community representatives to come out and clearly condemn this behaviour and support people's right to attend their worship free from disruption and intimidation.

"Sectarianism is a scourge in our society and it needs to be challenged and condemned whenever or wherever it arises."

© UTV News
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1 Comments
John in Newtownabbey wrote (63 days ago):
Yes, I can feel the "mad month" approaching, which will doubtless stretch to half the year as usual. Here we go again, and again, and yet again. God forbid we deny anyone the right to express their culture by attacking a Church!
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