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A security alert, which resulted in a number of people being moved from their homes near Omagh, County Tyrone, has been declared a hoax.

Several properties were evacuated while police dealt with the alert at Gorticashel Road.

It began on Monday evening after reports that a suspicious object had been left in the area.

PSNI district commander Robert McGown said the alert was a "deliberate hoax".

Supt McGowan said it was "designed to cause disruption and distress".

He added: "Following a thorough search lasting a number of hours, and additional police enquiries, we believe the information given to police was false."

Police cordons in the area have now been lifted and residents allowed to return to their homes.

Supt McGowan said whoever was responsible should "take a good look at their motivations and what it is they hope to achieve by forcing members of the community from their homes in the middle of the night".

Earlier on Tuesday, SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan said the alert had caused "real difficulty for families living in this area".

"The last thing families here need is their lives being disrupted in this way."