NEWS

Monday 09 November 2026 Mid and East Antrim is among the UK’s top 20 areas for the highest percentage of uninsured vehicles, according to Motor Insurers’ Bureau data cited by police as a week-long enforcement campaign begins. Operation Drive Insured runs across Northern Ireland from today, Monday 9 November, until Sunday 15 November, with officers checking that drivers have appropriate cover for their vehicles and how they use them. Police have seized 2,246 uninsured vehicles

Jailed: 42-year-old William Wylie for involvement in Ballymena riots in summer 2025 Monday 09 November 2026 A Ballymena rioter identified after removing his balaclava and by a tattoo on his hand has been sentenced to 28 months, with half to be served in custody. William Wylie, 42, was sentenced at Antrim Crown Court on Friday 6 November for the offence of riot. He will serve 14 months in custody and a further 14 months on licence. He was involved in disorder at Harryville Bri

Murdered: 27-year-old Sarah Montgomery Friday 6 November 2026 A 29-year-old man who brutally murdered his pregnant partner in her Donaghadee home, killing her and her unborn child, has been told he must serve at least 20 years in prison. Zak Hughes appeared before Belfast Crown Court on Friday 6 November, where the minimum term of his life sentence was set for the murder of 27-year-old Sarah Montgomery. Sarah, a mother of two young children, was 32 weeks pregnant with her thi

20-year-old Ballymena man Calum Bell Thursday 5 November 2026 A 20-year-old Ballymena man has been sentenced to five years in prison for his involvement in the June 2025 riots, including attacks on residential properties during the serious disorder that gripped the town. Calum Bell was sentenced at Antrim Crown Court on Thursday (5 November) after being convicted of riot, intentionally encouraging or assisting riot, and burglary with intent to cause unlawful damage. He receiv

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton Share personal stories with podcast host Lata Sharma Wednesday 4 November 2026 The Police Service of Northern Ireland is marking its 25th anniversary with a special podcast featuring its two most senior officers, reflecting on the organisation’s beginnings, the challenges of policing and the importance of attracting recruits from across the community. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and Deputy Chief Constabl

Jailed: 21-year-old Ballymena man Jacob Sharp Wednesday 4 November 2026 A 21-year-old Ballymena man has been sentenced to 28 months in prison after attacking police officers with bricks during the serious disorder that engulfed the town in June 2025. Jacob Sharp, from Ballymena, was sentenced at Antrim Crown Court on Wednesday 4 November after being convicted of riot. He will serve 14 months in custody, with the remaining 14 months on licence. Police footage captured sustaine

Tuesday 3 November 2026 Parents, guardians and carers across Northern Ireland are being urged to carefully check children's Halloween treats after a sewing needle was discovered inside a wrapped chocolate bar in the Rathfriland area of County Down. Police received a report of the discovery on Tuesday 3 November and have issued a public safety warning, advising families to inspect sweets collected during trick-or-treating before allowing children to eat them. No injuries have

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

Saturday 31 October 2026 The seizure of 2.2 tonnes of cocaine from a cargo ship off the Cork coast is among the operations examined in BUSTED, a new documentary series exploring how international drug trafficking networks have been intercepted in Ireland. Beginning on Monday, 2 November, the three-part series combines real-time footage with first-hand accounts from people involved in major anti-drug operations. Its stories stretch from an Army Ranger Wing boarding at sea to c

Sunday 01 November 2026 A girl aged under two needed hospital treatment after a firework exploded beside her in Carrickmore, while firefighters were separately targeted with fireworks at six incidents during Halloween celebrations in Northern Ireland. The child suffered a burn to her forearm while she was with her parents in the Main Street area of Carrickmore at around 8.30pm on Saturday, 31 October. In a separate operational update, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (N

Sunday 1 November 2026 Detectives are appealing for witnesses after a house was broken into and ransacked during a late-night burglary in Larne. Police received a report at approximately 11.40pm on Saturday 31 October that entry had been gained to a property in the Heatherton Rise area. A glass panel in a door had been smashed and the house searched by those responsible. Police have not yet established whether anything was stolen. Police investigation ongoing Detective Sergea

The black swan that has sadly since died. Sunday 01 November 2026 The death of a male black swan has brought further heartbreak to Broughshane Waterfowl Park, where two Trumpeter swans and more than ten ducks have already died following a devastating oil contamination incident. The Broughshane Environment, Waterfowl and Wildlife Trust (BEWWT) has confirmed the additional loss as North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew warns that the popular community attraction could remain closed for

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

Friday 30 October 2026 A stolen pick-up truck displaying registration plates taken from a vehicle in the Ballymena area was intercepted by police in Belfast during a busy shift that also saw a second driver arrested following an alleged hit-and-run incident in Lisburn. The PSNI’s Road Policing Intercept Team, based at Sprucefield, revealed details of three incidents on Wednesday 21 October, involving suspected vehicle theft, stolen number plates, alleged drink-driving and a f

Friday 30 October 2026 Police investigating the Drumcree and Garvaghy Road protest have identified 60 suspects, with 18 already interviewed as officers continue gathering evidence over alleged offences linked to the operation. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed that a dedicated team of 30 officers is examining more than 70 hours of recorded material as part of what is expected to be a lengthy investigation. Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said evi

Thursday 29 October 2026 The popular fly-on-the-wall documentary series ‘Peelers: The PSNI for Real’ is returning to television next month, giving viewers another behind-the-scenes look at the challenges, pressures and human stories of policing across Northern Ireland. Series Two will begin on BBC One Northern Ireland on Wednesday 11 November at 10.40pm, with episodes also available on BBC iPlayer from 6am that morning. The documentary follows Police Service of Northern Irela

Thursday 29 October 2026 Detectives are appealing for witnesses after two masked men entered a house in Ballyclare and threatened a resident during a burglary on Wednesday evening (28 October). The incident happened in the Springhill Meadows area, with police receiving a report at approximately 9.20pm. One of the intruders may have been armed with a knife. The men searched the property before fleeing empty-handed, leaving the resident badly shaken but physically unharmed. Mas

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart Wednesday 28 October 2026 The High Court has ruled that the Secretary of State acted lawfully in banning an Orange Order parade along Portadown’s Garvaghy Road, while delivering a significant warning about unlawful protests, respect for the rule of law and the involvement of elected representatives. Wednesday’s judgment has prompted renewed demands from Upper Bann DUP MP Carla Lockhart for First Minister Michelle O’Neill to be removed from office,

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 Two beloved Trumpeter swans and more than ten ducks have died following a serious oil contamination incident at Broughshane Waterfowl Park, leaving volunteers devastated as they fight to save the remaining affected birds. The Broughshane Environment, Waterfowl and Wildlife Trust (BEWWT) confirmed the losses on Monday (26 October), four days after heating oil entered the park's waters following what the charity described as an act of vandalism involving