Belfast school is cordoned off during alert

In Larne, County Antrim, a staff member found a suspicious object in the car park at St Comgall's High School at about 0900 BST on Thursday.

The school in Bankhead Lane in Drumalis was evacuated and pupils were sent home.

Army bomb experts carried out a controlled explosion on the item, which is understood to have had a wire and batteries attached.

In a separate development, Army bomb experts carried out a controlled explosion on a suspicious package outside a school in the Fortwilliam area of north Belfast.

Lessons disrupted

The device had been left outside the gates of Dominican College.

Police believe both attacks were on the schools in general, rather than on any particular individuals.

Later, more hoax bomb alerts disrupted lessons at a number of Catholic schools in Belfast, following a call to a newsroom in the city saying devices had been left.

Security forces were called to four schools in Divis Street, Crumlin Road, Ardoyne Road and Bilston Road in Belfast. Nothing was found.