NEWS

Meat and other foodstuffs are among the items most frequently stolen from shops in Mid and East Antrim, according to crime prevention officer Paul Black. The PSNI officer told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that there has been “a big increase in shoplifting” in the borough since the pandemic. “There are two types – those who are desperate for food and those who are stealing to order,” he said. Speaking at a public meeting of the Mid and East Antrim Policing and Comm

Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) Organised Crime Branch have taken part in a major UK-wide crackdown on organised crime groups exploiting high street businesses, as part of the second phase of Operation Machinize. The National Crime Agency (NCA)-led initiative, supported by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), brought together police forces and partner agencies across the UK for a month-long intensified period of action throughout October

PSNI Chief Inspector Siobhan Watt, PCSP Vice Chair Sharon Maxwell, PCSP Chair Councillor Lauren Gray, District Electoral Area Manager Ballymena and Lead for PCSP Jane Dunlop, and NIFRS Station Commander Johnston Birrell. (Image: Steven McAuley / McAuley Multimedia) Mid and East Antrim Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) is joining forces with the PSNI and Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) to encourage everyone to play their part in improving road

Jake Quigley A 21-year-old man from Ballymena has been jailed for his role in a violent, race-motivated disturbance that took place in the town’s Clonavon area earlier this year. Jake Quigley was sentenced at Antrim Crown Court today, Wednesday 12th November, for his involvement in the large-scale disorder on 9th June. He received a two-year custodial sentence, followed by two years on licence. The incident, described by police as “shameful scenes” , saw significant damage ca

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed that 100 people have now been arrested as part of its ongoing investigation into the serious disorder that unfolded in Ballymena during the summer. To date, 91 individuals have been charged with offences including riot, arson with intent to endanger life, and burglary with intent to cause arson. All of these cases are currently being prosecuted before the courts. Photographs of 60 potential suspects were previously i

A young girl is in hospital in a critical condition following a road traffic collision involving a lorry and a child pedestrian in the Boleran Road area of Limavady. The incident occurred shortly before 4 pm today. Emergency services, including officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), attended the scene together. It is also understood Northern Ireland Air Ambulan

24-year-old Jamie Mitchell The Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed the identity of the man who died following a road traffic collision in Coleraine during the early hours of this morning, Saturday 8th November. He was 24-year-old Jamie Mitchell from the Portrush area. The fatal collision occurred shortly after 1.20am on the Dunhill Road, involving a car and a pedestrian. Despite the efforts of emergency services, Mr Mitchell sadly died at the scene. Chief Inspect

A man in his 20s has died following a road traffic collision in Coleraine during the early hours of this morning, Saturday 8th November. Police have confirmed the incident occurred shortly after 1.20am on the Dunhill Road and involved a car and a pedestrian. Emergency services attended the scene, but despite their efforts, the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. Chief Inspector Celeste Simpson from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Collision Investigation Unit

PSNI Ballymena Neighbourhood Inspector McToal Ballymena’s District Support Team (DST) has seized around £250,000 worth of drugs, cash, and weapons in a series of proactive operations carried out across the Mid and East Antrim area throughout October. The specialist team, made up of six officers, works under the direction of the District Commander and the Policing and Community Safety Partnership, tackling crime priorities that most affect local communities. Inspector McToal s

Police have confirmed that a man has died following a single-vehicle road traffic collision in Magherafelt on Thursday evening, 6 November. Chief Inspector Celeste Simpson from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Collision Investigation Unit said: “Police received a report shortly after 5.50pm of a collision involving a car and a pedestrian in the Grange Road area. “Our officers attended, supported by colleagues from partner emergency services. However, sadly, the pedest

A 54-year-old woman from east Belfast has been jailed for five months after fraudulently claiming she would donate a kidney to a man in desperate need of a transplant. Nicola Hutton was sentenced at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 6 November, having previously been convicted of a false communication offence. The case centred on Hutton’s deceitful contact with William “Billy” Cullen from Newtownabbey, who had been suffering from Polycystic Kidney Disease for around ten

A County Antrim man who attempted to smuggle cannabis worth £64,000 into Northern Ireland concealed inside a makeshift workbench has been sentenced following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA). William Stewart, 46, living in Crumlin, was stopped by Border Force officers when he arrived in Belfast from Aldershot in October 2024. He had travelled by ferry in his transit van. During a search of the vehicle, a sniffer dog indicated the presence of drugs. Officers

Convicted: Cathan Quinn A man from Magherafelt has been sentenced to two years and two months for the online blackmail of two female victims involving intimate images. Twenty-nine-year-old Cathan Quinn appeared before Dungannon Crown Court on Monday, 4 November, where he was told he will serve half his sentence in custody and half on licence. He has also been made subject to a five-year restraining order for each victim. Detective Inspector Ryan said: “In early 2021, Cathan

Victim: 69-year-old Patrick Flanagan from the Derry area . Police have confirmed that the man who died after being seriously injured in Dungiven in the early hours of Sunday, 2 November, was 69-year-old Patrick Flanagan from the Derry area. Detective Inspector Gillian Connolly, from the PSNI’s Criminal Investigation Department , said: “Police received a report at approximately 1.35am on Sunday morning that an injured man had been found in the Foreglen Road area. “Officers att

Police in Mid and East Antrim have seized an estimated £65,000 worth of drugs, cash and prohibited weapons following two separate operations in the Ahoghill and Randalstown areas. The District Support Team carried out the first arrest and search operation on Wednesday, 29 October, in Ahoghill. During the search, officers recovered suspected Class A and Class B drugs, along with several prohibited weapons. Police estimate the total value of the drugs to be in excess of £30,000

Suspected murder victim: Jordan Webb Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Major Investigation Team have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man in Portavogie. The victim has been named as 28-year-old Jordan Webb. Police and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service attended a property in the New Harbour Road area of the County Down village on the morning of Monday, 3 November. Detective Inspector Hollie McCartan , who is leading the inves

Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Major Investigation Team have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man in Portavogie. Police and emergency services were called to a property in the New Harbour Road area of the coastal village on the morning of Monday 3 November. Detective Inspector Hollie McCartan said: “Officers, along with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, responded to a report received just after 7.45am. “

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed that a man aged in his 60s has died after being seriously injured in Dungiven in the early hours of Sunday, 2 November. Detective Inspector Gillian Connolly, from the PSNI’s Criminal Investigation Department , said: “Police received a report at approximately 1.35am that an injured man had been found in the Foreglen Road area. “Officers attended, alongside our colleagues from partner emergency services. The injured ma

Police have arrested a man following a report that a woman had been seriously injured in Dungannon on Saturday, 1 November. Chief Inspector Graham Dodds said: “At approximately 11.30am, it was reported that a woman had sustained a serious leg injury inside a property in the Altmore Drive area of the town. “Officers attended, and administered first aid until colleagues from other emergency services arrived. A woman, aged in her 40s, was taken to hospital for treatment. “Police

Inset: North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows has voiced serious concern over reports that Sinn Féin representatives allegedly asked PSNI officers to remove their personal protection weapons before entering party offices or attending community meetings. Mr Burrows — a retired senior police officer — described the alleged actions as a “dangerous abuse of political power” that could undermine both officer safety and the independence of policing in Northern