Image caption The device was found in the back garden of a house in Mayfield Village

A viable device has been found during a security alert in Newtownabbey, County Antrim.

People were moved from their homes while Army bomb experts dealt with an object found in the back garden of a house in Mayfield Village.

Resident Bernard McCotter, who is disabled, said he had been in bed when he was wakened by police officers who helped him out of his home.

He said the incident had been a big disruption during the night.

Image caption Bernard McCotter was wakened in the middle of the night

"He [the police officer] says: 'You'll have to get out sir, there's a device in the village. We don't know where it is, we're sending for the bomb squad.'"

He added: "My daughter rang me then and said: 'Daddy, you'll have to get out of the village."

The alert is now over and residents are back in their homes.