Bomb alert was hoax

A bomb alert in west Belfast has been declared an elaborate hoax.

Several controlled explosion have been carried out on a suspect van.

Army technical officers examined the vehicle at Shankill Parade off the Shankill Road, following a telephoned bomb warning.

It was left in a street parallel to one in which an office of the Ulster Democratic Party Office is situated.

John White of the UDP, which is linked to the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Freedom Fighters/Ulster Defence Association, accused republicans of involvement in the incident.

"It's a very dangerous game being played by the republican movement. They can only be viewed as being very, very provocative" he said.

"I would appeal to loyalists not to react to this and to stay calm."

Police said the van had been hijacked earlier on Thursday in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast.

Meanwhile, flats at Ross House in the Mount Vernon area of north Belfast were evacuated, again following a telephoned bomb warning.

However, that incident was also declared a hoax.