Brewery Lane Newtownards: Homes evacuated and traffic diverted as cordons in place amid security alert - public urged to avoid area

Houses have been evacuated in Brewery Lane in Newtownards. Cordons are in place in the area with Army bomb experts in attendance.

There is no traffic running through the town centre along Regent Street. A section of the street between Mary Street and West Street has been closed.

Police are asking members of the public and road users to avoid the area and seek an alternative route for their journeys. Services to and from the Newtownards bus station have been disrupted.

Belfast city-bound services from the bus station will depart from the hospital stop. Any country bound services, such as Comber and Portaferry, will depart from Frederick Street, Translink said.

Services coming into Newtownards will terminate at Frederick Street until further notice. A spokesperson for Translink said: "There is currently no disruption to services with some diversions in place."

Police said an update will follow in due course.