NEWS

South Antrim MP Robin Swann Families, businesses and communities across South Antrim have been left facing ongoing postal delays, with the UK communications regulator now directly acknowledging that Royal Mail’s performance is “not acceptable” following intervention from local MP Robin Swann. The sharp response from Ofcom comes after Mr Swann wrote to the regulator last month raising serious concerns over delayed letters, missed deliveries and employment issues reported by co

Kelli McRoberts, Chief Executive at Carrickfergus Enterprise, Elain Harkin, Strategic Revenue Manager from McKeever Hotels and Christine Barnhiill, Economic Development Officer at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, pictured with the ladies who attended this year’s Enterprising Women Residential. Female entrepreneurs from across Mid and East Antrim have come together for the fourth annual Enterprising Women Residential, as the fast-growing network continues to expand its sup

A high-energy daytime rave created exclusively for the over-30s crowd is set to bring a Bank Holiday boost to Theatre at The Mill next month, offering music lovers the chance to hit the dancefloor without the usual late-night finish. Taking place on Sunday 3 May 2026, the special event will run from 3pm to 7pm, transforming the venue into an afternoon party space filled with classic tunes, live performance elements and feel-good nostalgia. Headlined by Yeooo DJ , the event pr

Sainsbury’s, Ballymena Two men have been charged following an incident involving ATM machines at Sainsbury’s on the Larne Road Link in Ballymena, after it is understood two cash machines were damaged having allegedly been tampered with. The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed the charges on Wednesday, April 15, after officers investigated reports of men interfering with ATM machines in the Larne Link Road area on Saturday 11 April. A witness at the scene reported tha

The future of non-statutory pre-school provision in North Antrim has been thrust back into the spotlight after TUV MLA Timothy Gaston warned in the Northern Ireland Assembly that community playgroups could be forced to close their doors by September without urgent intervention from the Education Minister. Speaking on Monday (13 April) at Stormont, the North Antrim representative said the long-running issue surrounding pupil allocation numbers (PAN) for non-statutory settings

North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston A sharply contested debate at Stormont over Sinn Féin’s proposed Irish Language Education Bill has exposed fresh political tensions over the future shape of Northern Ireland’s education system, with TUV MLA Timothy Gaston accusing the legislation of creating a “two-tier” model that would place Irish-medium schools above every other sector. The Bill, brought forward by Sinn Féin, was debated in the Assembly on Tuesday and centres on placin

Motorists across Northern Ireland faced widespread disruption on Tuesday after a series of protests involving slow-moving vehicles affected several of the region’s key transport routes, with police issuing Fixed Penalty Notices and public order cautions during a coordinated response operation. The protests took place on Tuesday 14 April, impacting major arterial roads including the Sydenham Bypass, Westlink, M2, A1, A4 and A5, while the A6 at Toome was also blocked for a peri

Ballymena man Colin Agnew reaches the Final of BBC NI’s Greatest Gardens A Ballymena gardener whose suburban home has been transformed into a hidden botanical wonderland has secured the fourth and last place in the upcoming final of BBC Northern Ireland’s Greatest Gardens, after impressing judges with a design described as full of “mystery and intrigue”. Colin Agnew, head gardener at Belfast’s Botanic Gardens , captured the attention of viewers and judges alike for his imagin

Members of the Dougies Goodies team with staff from Applegreen Ballymena A26, marking a 100 retail store partnership across Northern Ireland A Ballymena launch has marked a major milestone for one of Northern Ireland’s best-known local bakery brands, with Dougies Goodies officially opening at Applegreen Ballymena A26 as its 100th stockist location across Northern Ireland. The opening represents a significant moment for the fast-growing business, which says it is “thrilled” to

A man in his 50s has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after a collision involving a car and a pedestrian in Larne on Monday evening, with police now appealing for witnesses and dash-cam footage. The incident happened in the Circular Road area of Larne at approximately 5.20pm on Monday, 13 April. Police said the collision involved a black Vauxhall Astra and a male pedestrian aged in his 50s. Emergency services, including colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulan

A man in his 20s has been arrested after a shop in Antrim was extensively damaged in an arson attack in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Police were called to the incident in the Greystone Road area of the town at approximately 3.35am on Tuesday 14 April, following reports that a business premises was on fire. Officers attended the scene alongside crews from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, who worked to extinguish the blaze. While no injuries were reported, t

(All photographs: Ewan Harkness) A brand-new The Food Warehouse store has officially opened in Ballymena, with 77 eager shoppers already waiting in line before the doors opened on Tuesday morning. The much-anticipated new store, located at Braidwater Retail Park, Ballymena, Antrim, BT42 3AG, welcomed its first customers on Tuesday 14 April, marking a major retail expansion for the town and delivering 23 additional jobs for the local community. In scenes that underlined the le

Barr’s grave in Connor New Cemetery. Alan with his father Roy and children, James and Maria Eighty-five years after one of the darkest nights in Northern Ireland’s wartime history, Braid Ulster Unionist Councillor Alan Barr has paid a deeply personal tribute to members of his own family and to a young Ballymena police officer whose lives were lost during the Belfast Blitz. As communities across Northern Ireland pause this week to mark the anniversary of the devastating Luftw

The RNLI has issued its own urgent Mayday call after new figures revealed its volunteer lifeboat crews across Northern Ireland were launched 235 times in 2025, bringing 214 people to safety, including three lives saved. The newly released data, published today by the lifesaving charity, also shows that 80 of those call-outs took place in darkness, underlining the scale and intensity of demand facing volunteer crews at the region’s 10 lifeboat stations. Alongside the lifeboat

Jim Wylie, 60 A man in his 60s has died following a two-vehicle road traffic collision in Ballymena on Monday morning, with police appealing for witnesses and dash-cam footage as enquiries continue. The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed that local man Jim Wylie, 60 , died at the scene after the collision involving a car and a motorcycle in the Crankill Road area. The crash happened at approximately 10.25am on Monday, 13 April, at the junction of Crankill Road and T

Ballymena Academy Year 11 pupils Samantha Dunlop and Katie McNeilly Two Ballymena Academy pupils have stepped into the fast-paced world of professional media and digital storytelling as they continue their journey as finalists in the 2026 ABP Angus Youth Challenge, combining science, agriculture and communications in a project with real-world relevance for Northern Ireland’s farming sector. Year 11 pupils Samantha Dunlop and Katie McNeilly are among the finalists in the prest

A man in his 40s was stabbed several times with a pair of scissors after opening the door of his Ballymena flat to two intruders in what police are treating as an aggravated burglary. Detectives have launched an appeal for information following the violent incident at a property in Andena Grange on Saturday evening, 11 April, during which the victim was also robbed of personal belongings. The attack was reported to have taken place sometime between 8.30pm and 10pm when two ma

Monday in the House of Commons, North Antrim MP Jim Allister challenged the Prime Minister on announcing a cut to fuel duty to relieve pressure on drivers, farmers and businesses across the UK Motorists, farmers and businesses across Northern Ireland facing soaring fuel costs were given no immediate promise of tax relief on Monday after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Government’s main focus remains reopening the Strait of Hormuz and easing global supply pressures. T

Ballymena Town Hall Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s interim chief executive was paid £151,725 in 2024-25, placing the borough among the higher-paid councils in Northern Ireland as the latest Town Hall Rich List records a new UK-wide high in six-figure local authority remuneration. Across Northern Ireland’s 11 councils, 59 employees received total remuneration of more than £100,000 in 2024-25, up from 51 the previous year, while all Northern Ireland councils also increas

Hugh McGill and members of Ballycastle Runners welcoming another year’s sponsorship by McAuley Freight Ltd, represented by Aaron McAuley (right), as Marconi’s 5 Mile Race returns in Ballycastle. Ballycastle is set for another major day on the local sporting calendar next month as the Marconi’s 5 Mile Race returns on Sunday, 24 May 2026, with organisers confirming that McAuley Freight Ltd has joined Ballycastle Runners for a third consecutive year as one of the event’s main sp