text: The alert began just after midday when police received a report of a suspicious device at the back of business premises on Dunluce Street.
  Officers cordoned off the scene and part of the street was closed. It reopened at about 17:30 BST.
  The suspect object was examined by Army bomb experts who declared it a hoax device.
  Chief Inspector Stephen McCauley said: "Police acted quickly to keep people safe and away from the suspicious object.
  "Many businesses and a few residents in the area were evacuated.
  "The lives of local people have been disrupted today and I lay the blame on those who planted the hoax device. Their actions are irresponsible and show disregard for the local community.
  "Hoax devices can be very realistic and similar in look to the real thing. Where there is a clear threat to life, police must take action to keep people safe."
target: A security alert in the centre of Larne, County Antrim, has ended and been declared a hoax.