The suspect device at the centre of a security alert in the Waterside area of Derry had been moved to a “safer place” by a member of the public, it has been claimed locally.
Srabane Old Road has been sealed off and a number of families moved from their homes.
A PSNI spokesperson said police were responding to a report of a suspicious object being found in the area.
It is believed a local community activist lifted the suspect device from a garden in the area and left it at “safer place” before raising the alarm.
It is the fourth security alert in the area since midnight.
Three separate overnight alerts, which saw a number of homes evacuated, have been declared an elaborate hoaxes.
Police received reports about three suspicious objects in the Gobnascale area in the early hours of this morning.
The first was at Mimosa Court at about 12.55am, the second on Strabane Old Road about 20 minutes later and the third at a business premises in the same area shortly before 1.50am.
All three were examined by the British army bomb disposal experts and declared hoaxes.
Residents were able to return to their homes shortly before 7.00am and all roads in the area were re-opened.
There were a number of security alerts in the same area two weeks ago.
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