The chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland has apologised unreservedly to two journalists over searches at their homes and businesses in 2018 which were later found to be unlawful.

Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney were arrested over material which appeared in their film No Stone Unturned, which was about the loyalist massacre of six Catholic men in Loughinisland, Co Down in 1994 while they were watching the World Cup. The investigation was later dropped.

Unlawful

In a statement, PSNI chief Simon Byrne said he fully accepted a ruling of the Lord Chief Justice in Belfast last week that the search warrants were unlawful.

While the searches were carried out by officers from Durham Constabulary, they were acting on behalf of the PSNI. The chief constable said the force would be reviewing all findings of the judgment to ensure that “all appropriate learning” was taken.

“I have notified both Mr McCaffrey and Mr Birney’s legal representatives that I am keen to resolve all the outstanding matters through a process of mediation in order to bring this matter to a conclusion,” said the PSNI chief.