NEWS

A person in Mid Ulster could face prosecution after a so-called “mystery box” ordered from an overseas online retailer was intercepted by Border Force and found to contain a taser and a number of other weapons. The parcel, which was destined for an address in Mid Ulster, was seized before delivery, prompting officers from the PSNI’s Cookstown Neighbourhood Policing Team to visit the intended recipient. ‘Mystery box’ explanation According to police, the buyer claimed they had

Arthur Cottage Cullybackey is set to take its place on an international heritage trail linking the ancestral homes of American presidents, as Tourism NI unveils a major programme of new visitor experiences designed to attract more overseas visitors to Northern Ireland. The village is one of four key locations on the new ‘Presidents, Heritage & Homecomings: The Ancestral Cottage Trail’ – a premium two-day guided experience that will connect the homesteads and heritage of US pr

Damage caused to a police safety camera van A man has been arrested after a Road Safety Partnership camera van was attacked and damaged in Mid Ulster, leaving the vehicle off the road and prompting a fresh police appeal for witnesses. The incident happened on Ballinderry Bridge Road, Coagh on Monday afternoon, 22 June, when a man allegedly approached the safety camera van and began throwing masonry at the vehicle, smashing windows and shouting abuse at the driver. Police have

Three people have been arrested after police uncovered a significant quantity of suspected drugs, firearms, ammunition, cash and counterfeit goods during a major operation in the Dungannon area. The searches, carried out on Friday, 19 June, involved officers from the PSNI’s Mid Ulster District Support Team, assisted by the Torrent Neighbourhood Policing Team, Dungannon Local Policing Team and the Armed Support Unit. Police say the operation resulted in the seizure of suspecte

Police discovered a cannabis cultivation operation in the garage of a home in Maghera A report of erratic driving in Maghera has led police to uncover a large-scale cannabis operation with an estimated street value of more than £130,000, resulting in two arrests and the seizure of drugs, cash and weapons. The discovery was made on Saturday, 13 June, when officers from Mid Ulster Police carried out follow-up enquiries at a residential property after receiving a complaint about

A motorist escaped unharmed after a group of masked men allegedly attempted to drag him from his vehicle during a brazen daylight incident in Cookstown. Police have launched an investigation following what detectives are treating as an attempted hijacking on the East Circular Road on Wednesday afternoon. The incident occurred between 2.10pm and 2.15pm on Wednesday, 10 June, when the driver was travelling along the road and noticed a number of males dressed in dark clothing, w

Maeve Owens while studying at MSU took the opportunity to travel to Chicago A student from Magherafelt has described her four-month study experience in the United States as “the best thing I’ve ever done” after returning home from a life-changing exchange programme at one of America’s biggest universities. Maeve Owens, who studies BSc (Hons) Food Business Management at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), recently completed a semester abroad at Michi

Inset: Interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust The interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has acknowledged the publication of the Northern Ireland Audit Office report on the use of temporary nursing staff across Northern Ireland. Speaking at a meeting of the Trust board at Causeway Hospital, Coleraine, on Thursday morning, Suzanne Pullins said the report “sends out a very important message about reliance on temporary

Dr Martin Hanna, Consultant Paediatrician; Lesley Kennedy, Paediatric Asthma & Allergy Nurse Specialist and Anne Marie Campbell, Allergy Dietitian. Children waiting for specialist allergy care in the Northern Trust area are being seen faster after a series of additional evening clinics helped tackle lengthy paediatric waiting lists at Antrim Area Hospital. The extra clinics, funded by the Department of Health, were introduced specifically to reduce delays for children needing

A major fire involving a car showroom, multiple vehicles and café premises in Garvagh prompted a large-scale emergency response in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with 55 firefighters deployed to tackle the blaze. Emergency crews were called to the incident on the Carhill Road at approximately 4.30am on Wednesday 13 May after reports of a building fire. Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said firefighters arriving at the scene were met by a “developed fire” involvin

Members of the Northern Trust’s Palliative Care and Learning Disability Working Group pictured at an event to mark the launch of the bereavement information for adults with a learning disability. Talking about death remains one of life’s most avoided conversations—but a major regional campaign this week is aiming to change that, with new support, resources, and community events rolled out across the Northern Trust area to help people face it with greater confidence and compas

A major organised crime investigation has led to the arrest of a 30-year-old man and the seizure of suspected cocaine worth an estimated £1 million, after detectives uncovered evidence of drug supply, illicit cash movement and indecent images of children on mobile devices. The man was arrested on Friday, 1 May, in the Cookstown area by detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Organised Crime Unit. He is being held on suspicion of offences relating to drug supp

David Harkin, Franchisee Performance Manager at Subway UK and Ireland, is pictured with a group of finalists from across the competing clubs ahead of the NIYFA Subway Cup Finals Day at the Mid Ulster Sports Arena, Cookstown, where Northern Ireland’s top youth teams will compete for national honours. Northern Ireland’s most promising young footballers are set to take centre stage as 34 of the country’s leading youth teams prepare to compete for national honours at the NIYFA Su

Emmet Potter who was tragically died as a result of the road traffic collision A 38-year-old man has been charged in connection with a fatal road traffic collision in Caledon which claimed the life of Emmet Potter, with police confirming he is due to appear in court today. The charge follows the single-vehicle collision on Derrycourtney Road on Saturday, 25 April, which resulted in Mr Potter’s death and sparked an investigation by the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Coll

Noah and Grace have been confirmed as the most popular baby names given to children registered in Northern Ireland in 2025, with fresh figures showing long-standing favourites holding firm while a wave of new and unusual names continues to emerge. The latest Baby Names 2025 statistics, published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) , reveal that Grace has retained the number one spot for girls, while Noah has climbed back to the top of the boy

A woman has been taken to hospital following a three-vehicle road traffic collision in Bellaghy on Sunday evening, with police now appealing for witnesses and motorists with dashcam footage to come forward. The crash happened in the Ballymacombs Road area of Bellaghy shortly after 6.30pm on Sunday, April 12, prompting an emergency response and the temporary closure of the road. Police said the woman’s injuries are not believed to be serious at this time. The road remained clo

Cancer services in Northern Ireland remained under intense strain at the end of 2025, with the latest Department of Health figures showing that almost all key waiting time targets continued to be missed despite an increase in the number of patients beginning treatment and a sharp rise in breast cancer assessments. The newly published Accredited Official Statistics cover the quarter ending December 2025 and set out waiting times for patients accessing cancer services at hospit

An action plan is set to be implemented by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust at Whiteabbey Hospital by the end of next month in a bid to improve theatre efficiency. Trust board members were presented with a report on theatre performance at the end of February, which showed that performance in the Trust’s “peripheral” hospitals — Whiteabbey and Mid Ulster — is below target in terms of both operating and run times. Operating times refer to the time spent on each patient

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust board has approved a business case for the purchase of nine new ultrasound scanners at a cost of almost £700,000. A report presented to the Trust board at its most recent meeting in January said: “This proposal aims to replace nine ultrasound scanners within radiology across the Trust. “The service covers a wide range of routine, planned, red flag and urgent examinations for both inpatients and outpatients, as well as unscheduled car

A man has been arrested after a suspected deliberate house fire in Moneymore left one man injured and forced neighbouring residents from their homes. Emergency services were called to the incident in the Rockview Park area shortly before 2pm on Thursday, March 12, after reports that a property had caught fire while people were inside. Police say a man and a child were inside the house at the time the blaze broke out. The child escaped unharmed, while the man was taken to hosp