Two arrests after alleged KKK incident in Ards
Group dressed as Ku Klux Klan at Halloween
Two men have been arrested following reports that a group of people dressed as Ku Klux Klan members and posed for photographs outside an Islamic prayer centre.
Images circulating on social media purport to show individuals dressed as members of the far-right group in a town close to Belfast last month.
The suspected incident happened in the County Down town of Newtownards on October 27.
The group is understood to have posed near an Islamic prayer house.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland launched a hate crime investigation into the matter.
On Thursday morning, two men, aged 33 and 36, were arrested.
Superintendent Brian Kee said the pair were arrested in the Newtownards area during planned searches.
He said a number of items were seized and removed for further examination,
"The 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of displaying written material to stir up hatred or arouse fear, and on suspicion of possession of a Class C controlled drug,'' he said.
"The 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of displaying written material to stir up hatred or arouse fear.
"Both men have since been released on bail pending further enquiries.
The incident was widely condemned by local politicians.
Last year, a pig's head was placed outside the same centre in Newtownards