NEWS

County Antrim man Dean Patton went missing 14 years ago Wednesday 4 November 2026 Police have renewed their appeal for information about a Portrush man who vanished more than 14 years ago, urging anyone who visited the north coast during the summer of 2012 to consider whether they may hold a vital clue. Dean Patton was just 24 years old when he was last seen in the Main Street area of Portrush on the afternoon of Tuesday 24 July 2012. His disappearance remains the subject of

Tuesday 3 November 2026 The Northern Health and Social Care Trust board has approved a further £2.16m in cost-cutting measures, bringing its total planned savings for 2026/27 to £52.16m, amid warnings that the latest proposals could lead to reductions in services. Despite the additional measures, the Trust still faces a £1.64m shortfall against its £53.8m savings target, which remains “unaddressed” in its financial plan for the current year. The Northern Trust provides health

Tuesday 3 November 2026 A £634,000 upgrade to an MRI scanner at Antrim Area Hospital has been approved by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust board, while the cost of a separate car park expansion at Causeway Hospital has risen to £824,000 following the discovery of an invasive plant. The two developments were outlined at a recent Trust board meeting, with members approving improvements to diagnostic imaging equipment at Antrim and considering additional costs associate

Missing Bushmills man Mark Dinsmore Monday 02 November 2026 Police searching for missing Bushmills man Mark Dinsmore have issued a direct appeal to two members of the public who they believe may have helped him from his car following a road traffic collision in Ballymoney. The 50-year-old has not been in contact with family or friends since Saturday 24 October, when his grey Audi A4 was involved in a collision with a grey Nissan Juke on the Ballybogey Road at around 6pm. Offi

Graffiti sprayed on Rasharkin Orange Hall in July Monday 2 November 2026 Members of an Orange lodge in Rasharkin say decades of sectarian attacks have left them afraid to celebrate their culture openly, with their hall targeted in 51 incidents over the past 30 years. The claims have prompted renewed scrutiny of the police response, with North Antrim MP Jim Allister demanding greater accountability from the PSNI after lodge members publicly described the impact of repeated int

Portrush RNLI on callout to the stricken fishing boat on the Antrim coast. (Image: John Morton) Monday 2 November 2026 Portrush RNLI volunteers were called into action on Sunday evening (1 November) after a 14-metre fishing vessel suffered engine failure just off Ballycastle Harbour. The all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch by the Coastguard at 7.06pm, with the volunteer crew setting off from Portrush just 20 minutes later. The lifeboat arrived at the scene at 8.10pm,

Missing County Antrim man, 50-year-old Mark Dinsmore Saturday 31 October 2026 Motorists who travelled through the Ballybogey Road area of Ballymoney last Saturday evening are being urged to check their dash-cam footage as police continue searching for missing Bushmills man Mark Dinsmore. The 50-year-old has not been in contact with family or friends since he was involved in a road traffic collision on Saturday 24 October, raising serious concerns for his welfare. Police have

TUV leader Jim Allister MP, and party candidate for The Glens, Jamise McIlhagga Saturday 31 October 2026 Former chemistry teacher Jamise McIlhagga has been announced as the Traditional Unionist Voice candidate for The Glens electoral area on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. McIlhagga, who works in Jim Allister MP’s constituency office, previously stood for council under the TUV banner in 2014 and is now preparing to contest a seat again. Her selection is the latest a

Saturday 31 October 2026 Residents evacuated from their homes in Dervock were allowed to return shortly before 10.30pm on Friday after a suspicious device left on a house windowsill was declared non-viable. A controlled explosion was carried out during the security operation in Greystone Crescent. The alert has now ended and all cordons have been lifted. Police received a report just after 4.50pm on Friday, 30 October, that the device had been left on the front windowsill of

Missing County Antrim man Mark Dinsmore Friday 30 October 2026 Police have revealed that a missing Bushmills man may have sustained injuries in a road traffic collision shortly before his disappearance, prompting serious concerns for his welfare as the search to find him continues. Mark Dinsmore, aged 50, was last seen at around 6pm on Saturday 24 October, when he was involved in a collision in the Ballybogey Road area of Ballymoney. He has not been in contact with family or

Tracy Young, General Manager, The Lodge Hotel, Jamie Selfridge, Head of Business & Community at Coleraine FC, and Victoria Walton, Group Finance Director at McKeever Hotels Thursday 29 October 2026 Two of Coleraine’s best-known names are strengthening their long-standing relationship, with The Lodge Hotel signing a new two-season partnership with Coleraine Football Club. The family-owned hotel, part of the McKeever Hotels group, has become the Bannsiders’ Official Social Medi

Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Dawn Huggins, meets Rachel Cassidy, whose photograph of Binevenagh and Lough Foyle has earned her a place on the shortlist for the Royal Meteorological Society’s Weather Photographer of the Year 2026 competition. Thursday 29 October 2026 A spectacular photograph of rare night-shining clouds above Binevenagh and Lough Foyle has earned a Limavady woman a place among the world's leading weather photographers – and now the public can

CGI showing the newly approved hotel in Cushendall Thursday 29 October 2026 A landmark Cushendall hotel that has stood empty for around eight years could finally welcome guests again after councillors approved ambitious plans to transform it into a 38-bedroom destination with a restaurant, bar, function room and gym. Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s Planning Committee approved the major redevelopment of the former Glens Hotel on Coast Road on Wednesday evening, 28 O

Wednesday 28 October 2026 Patients across Ballymena and the wider Northern Trust area could receive more treatment at home and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions this winter, as health authorities prepare for another challenging period for emergency departments, hospital beds and community services. New winter surge plans published across Northern Ireland set out measures to improve patient care, reduce ambulance handover delays and help medically fit patients leave hospit

Willie Gregg presents a cheque to Stephen Watson from the NI Children's Kidney Fund. The presentation coincided with the seventh anniversary of Stephen's kidney transplant. Tuesday 27 October 2026 Three Northern Ireland charities supporting children with serious illnesses, families facing difficult circumstances and people experiencing mental health challenges have benefited from the generosity of those who supported Wee Joan’s Dog Walk. Willie Gregg presented cheques to repr

Local neighbourhood policing teams and community representatives who attended the recent event at Coleraine Police Station Tuesday 27 October 2026 Neighbourhood policing teams across Causeway Coast and Glens have been strengthened with additional officers, as police seek to increase their visibility in local communities and improve how residents’ concerns are addressed. The increased staffing was highlighted at a Meet the Teams event at Coleraine Police Station on Friday 16 O

Tuesday 27 October 2026 A man has been taken to hospital after being beaten with iron bars and shot in the leg by masked men who entered a house in Dervock during the early hours of Tuesday morning (27 October). Police said four masked men, one armed with a handgun and the other three carrying iron bars, entered a property in the Stratham View area shortly before the incident was reported at 12.30am. The victim was struck on the head and arms with the bars before being shot i

Cash seized by police during searches in Operation Lockstream Monday 26 October 2026 Police have seized more than £200,000 in cash during a major crackdown on organised crime networks, including searches of two properties in Cushendall where almost £50,000 was recovered alongside tobacco, cigarettes and mobile phones. The seizures formed part of Operation Lockstream, a nationwide multi-agency initiative targeting criminals suspected of exploiting road, rail and port networks,

Missing County Antrim man Mark Dinsmore Sunday 25 October 2026 Police and the family of a missing 50-year-old man from the Bushmills area are growing increasingly concerned for his whereabouts and are appealing to the public for help finding him. Mark Dinsmore was last seen in the Ballybogey Road area of Ballymoney at approximately 6pm on Saturday 24 October. Police are asking anyone who may have seen Mark, or who has information that could help locate him, to get in touch. D

Saturday 24 October 2026 Northern Ireland is bracing for potentially damaging winds from Storm Boelo this weekend, with gusts reaching 80mph in exposed coastal areas, as the Met Office issues a further weather warning for Tuesday. An amber wind warning covering County Antrim and County Londonderry will be in force from 9pm on Saturday until 10am on Sunday, with widespread disruption possible as the strongest winds sweep across the region overnight. The latest forecast indicat