Lagan River security alert may have been sparked by items found on boat

A security alert on the Lagan last night may have been sparked by items found on a small boat between the Queen Elizabeth Bridge and the weir.

Two bomb squad trucks and police were in the carpark at the Lagan Lookout while the ‘suspicious objects’ were examined by an Ammunition Technical Officer.

A holdall is handed over (Photopress Belfast)

It appears that the objects may have been inside a holdall style bag found on a small boat, possibly a dredging vessel of some sort, moored next to the carpark.

The bag was examined on the vessel before being removed to a small boat and taken to a pontoon and onto dry land at the carpark.

An army bomb disposal expert examines the objects on the vessel (Photopress Belfast)

Initially police did not close the Queen Elizabeth Bridge, that leads from Donegall Quay across the river to Middlepath Street, but at around 11pm they shut both it and the Lagan Weir footbridge.

They said the move was to “facilitate the further examination and removal of suspicious objects from a vessel on the River Lagan”.

Police have confirmed the area has now been reopened to traffic.