NEWS

A vehicle seized by police for no insurance in the Henry Street area of Ballymena Motorists across Ballymena have been reminded to drive safely after police launch a series of road safety enforcement activities across the district as part of Operation Lifesaver. Officers from the PSNI’s D Section were on patrol throughout the weekend, carrying out vehicle checkpoints, roadside breath tests, speed checks and inspections of vehicle condition as part of the ongoing initiative to

Two people were brought safely ashore after both of their jet skis broke down off the County Antrim coast on Saturday afternoon, prompting a rescue operation by Larne RNLI. The volunteer crew launched their D class inshore lifeboat Terry at 2.24pm on Saturday, 1 August, after HM Coastguard received a distress call from one of the jet skiers reporting that the pair had become stranded near Browns Bay. Weather conditions were favourable at the time, with calm seas and a light n

Police have seized 23 scramblers, e-bikes and e-scooters during a two-day operation targeting illegal and anti-social riding in the Lurgan and Craigavon areas, with officers also uncovering suspected drug offences, drink-driving and a stolen e-bike. The enforcement operation, carried out on Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1, followed ongoing complaints from local residents about the dangerous and anti-social use of two-wheel vehicles. In total, police seized 23 vehicles

Andrew Todd with the RNLI lifeguard team at Whiterocks Beach A father who was rescued alongside his two children after being caught in a powerful rip current at Whiterocks Beach, Portrush, has returned to thank the RNLI as the charity marks 25 years of its lifeguard service. The visit coincides with International Lifeguard Appreciation Day on Friday, 31 July, with the RNLI paying tribute to the lifeguards who patrol beaches across the UK and Ireland and highlighting the role

Jay Reardon was just 21 when he died The family of a young County Down man who died in a motorcycle crash a decade ago have issued a heartfelt appeal to all road users, urging them to remember that “every person deserves to get home safely.” Jay Reardon was just 21 when he died on 31 July 2016 after the motorcycle he was riding was involved in a single-vehicle collision on Belfast Road in Newtownards. No other vehicle was involved. Marking the 10th anniversary of his death, J

Electrical recycling point at one of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Household Recycling Centres (HRC) Residents across Mid and East Antrim are being urged to take extra care when disposing of batteries, vapes and electrical items after a series of potentially dangerous fire incidents at the borough’s Household Recycling Centres. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council says several recent near-misses have been caused by items being placed in the wrong recycling containers,

Police officers conducting an enforcement operation as part of “all-out” Day of Action across South Area district in Northern Ireland. Police have launched an intensive road safety crackdown across the PSNI’s South Area today (Tuesday 28 July) after almost half of Northern Ireland’s road deaths this year occurred within the region. A total of 42 people have died on roads across Northern Ireland so far in 2026, with 19 of those fatalities recorded in South Area, prompting offi

Inset: UUP councillor for Braid, Alan Barr, and the busy junction impacted by new signage on the A26 Lisnevenagh Road. Motorists using a busy stretch of the A26 near Ballymena should soon see potentially hazardous road signs relocated after concerns were raised that they were obstructing drivers’ visibility at a junction on a carriageway with a history of serious collisions. The issue centred on newly installed Department for Infrastructure (DfI) signs at the Valley Road and

Co Antrim farmer Denis Minford. A County Antrim farmer who spent three weeks in a coma after a devastating farm accident is urging others to make safety part of every working day as this year’s Farm Safety Week draws to a close. Crumlin farmer Denis Minford has shared his personal story in support of the annual campaign led by the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies), with backing in Northern Ireland from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) and the

Content warning: This article discusses child sexual abuse, trauma and suicide. A fully resourced statutory inquiry should investigate historical clerical child abuse across Northern Ireland after survivors described lifelong trauma, institutional silence and repeated failures to protect children. Three long-awaited reports published by First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly examine the experiences of victims and survivors, records held

Larne RNLI volunteers rescuing a fishing boat on the Antrim coast. Three people aboard a broken-down fishing boat were brought safely ashore after Larne RNLI launched a rescue operation off the County Antrim coast. The callout on Thursday evening, 9 July, marked the first operational shout for volunteer crew member Andy Purves, who recently joined Larne RNLI. The fishing vessel was found around half a mile north of Portmuck, close to the cliffs, after suffering a mechanical f

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has acknowledged “higher than usual absence rates” within its maternity services team over recent months after concerns were raised by campaign group SOS Causeway Hospital. SOS Causeway Hospital recently met with senior Department of Health officials to highlight what it described as “severe pressures within Antrim maternity services following the centralisation of births”. All hospital births in the Northern Trust have taken place at

Senior RNLI Lifeguard Annie Jagoe A swimmer was rescued from a dangerous rip current on the Antrim coast after getting into difficulty outside the designated bathing area, prompting a rapid emergency response from RNLI lifeguards, the Coastguard and the ambulance service. The incident happened at around 5pm on Monday, 7 July at Portrush West Strand, when lifeguards were alerted by a member of the public to a woman struggling against strong surging waves beyond the red and yel

Northern Ireland’s emergency care system came under even greater pressure during the past year, with official figures showing hospitals treated almost 19,000 more emergency patients than the previous year while performance against key emergency care targets continued to deteriorate. The latest Northern Ireland Hospital Statistics: Urgent and Emergency Care (2025/26) reveal emergency department attendances increased again, four-hour performance declined, the number of patients

(Photo: Jason Bain) A fishing boat carrying two crew members was safely brought back to Larne Harbour on Monday evening after suffering a mechanical failure close to one of Northern Ireland’s busiest shipping routes. Volunteer crew from Larne RNLI launched their all-weather lifeboat following a request from HM Coastguard at 7.42pm on Monday after receiving reports that the vessel had broken down at sea. The incident unfolded north-east of the East Maidens Lighthouse, where th

Motorists across Northern Ireland are being warned that new police speed enforcement technology can now be deployed on virtually any road, at any time of day or night, as part of a major new crackdown on speeding. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has begun using enhanced TruCAM II speed enforcement cameras as part of a pilot project with the Northern Ireland Road Safety Partnership aimed at tackling dangerous driving and reducing the number of people being killed on the

The scene today as Larne RNLI volunteers were tasked to a fishing boat drifting in the shipping lane close to the Port of Larne. (Images: Alex Morris) A small fishing boat found drifting unattended in a busy shipping channel close to the Port of Larne was safely recovered on Sunday afternoon after volunteers from Larne RNLI were called into action. The alarm was raised at 4.44pm on Sunday, July 5, when the volunteer crew of Larne RNLI were requested by HM Coastguard to launch

ACC Ryan Henderson with two neighbourhood officers The Police Service of Northern Ireland has launched its 2026 Safer Summer Together campaign, urging people across Northern Ireland to enjoy the summer months while remaining alert to a range of safety risks affecting homes, roads and public spaces. Launched on Wednesday, 1 July, the annual initiative aims to promote safer behaviour during a period when longer evenings, warmer weather and school holidays typically see more peo

Hot weather may be welcomed by many across Northern Ireland, but health experts are warning that prolonged exposure to heat and sunshine can have serious consequences, with rising numbers of sunburn injuries, heat-related illnesses and deaths linked to excessive temperatures. The Public Health Agency (PHA), alongside the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the Children’s Burns Trust, is urging people to take simple precautions to protect themselves and t

New drivers across Northern Ireland will face a major overhaul of the licensing system from October after MLAs approved legislation paving the way for Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL). The Assembly on Tuesday, 23 June approved Regulations confirming that the new road safety scheme will come into force on 1 October 2026, marking the most significant reform of driver licensing and testing in almost 70 years. Designed to reduce the disproportionate number of fatal and serious ro