Security alert disrupts exams

The centre of village was closed off during alert

Examinations at a County Down school have been disrupted following an early morning security alert.

A petrol bomb was thrown at St Malachy's High School in Castlewellan, but failed to explode.

Part of the town was later cordoned off after a suspicious object was found near a republican memorial in Lower Square on Tuesday.

A controlled explosion was carried out on the object. It was declared a hoax.

Some 180 students at the school were due to take their Key Stage Three English exam at 1000 BST on Tuesday.

However, 20 pupils who were unable to get to the school because of the disruption sat the exam slightly later.

I am absolutely heartbroken that anybody would compromise the youth of Northern Ireland like this Nuala Cunningham School principal

Principal Nuala Cunningham said it was unacceptable.

"There are 970 pupils at this school who have had their education disrupted," she said.

"We talk about Key Stage Three English today, there's GCSE exams just 10 days away.

"I am absolutely heartbroken that anybody would compromise the youth of Northern Ireland like this."

The trouble came after two families escaped injury in petrol bomb attacks near Castlewellan.

'Anti-social element'

The devices were thrown at two houses in New Meadow Row in Annesborough at about 0130 BST on Tuesday.

One caused scorch damage to the outside of a house where a woman and two teenagers were sleeping.

The second failed to ignite. It was thrown at a house where a baby, three teenagers, a woman and her partner live.

Police do not believe the attacks were sectarian.

SDLP assembly member Eamonn O'Neill blamed the incident on an anti-social element from outside the area.

"There have been a number of incidents over the weekend," he said.

"It seems there have been outsiders coming into the area to party or whatever, and have fallen out among themselves.

"It is terrible that it has got to this stage, and I would absolutely condemn it."