Residents in Magherafelt were subjected to an “extremely distressing experience” after a security alert kept them out of their homes overnight. The alert in the Golf Terrace area ended on Sunday after Army bomb experts carried out a controlled explosion on a suspicious object. A police spokesperson said officers received a report of a suspicious object outside a residential property at around 7.20pm on Saturday. They said officers put a safety operation in place which meant closing the road and the evacuation of a number of local residents overnight. “Ammunition Technical Officers determined that the object may have been a viable explosive device and carried out a controlled explosion, before residents were able to return to their homes on Sunday morning,” they said. “This was an extremely distressing experience for residents, who had to deal with the fear of this device in their community alongside the discomfort and inconvenience of being put out of their homes. “The device has been taken away for further examination and detectives are keen to establish the circumstances surrounding this report.” Police have issued an appeal for information about the incident. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.