Five teens arrested after cross-border chase

Five teenagers were arrested by the PSNI in the early hours of Wednesday morning following a cross-border chase from Donegal.

The vehicle, a white Toyota Aqua, failed to stop for a Garda checkpoint on Lifford Bridge just after midnight.

The car sped off in the Strabane direction after evading the Gardai at approximately 12.10am.

The car, carrying the five teenagers, managed to get away from the PSNI, between Strabane and Newtownstewart.

However, a short time later, PSNI officers deployed a stinger and the vehicle came to a stop on the Beltany Road in Omagh.

The 16-year-old driver of the vehicle was arrested. The driver was arrested for a range of offences including driving while under the influence of an intoxicant, dangerous driving, going equipped for theft and driving without a licence.

The driver was also charged with aggravated vehicle taking, causing damage to the vehicle.

The four teenage passengers, aged between 15 and 18, were arrested for offences including going equipped for theft.

All five remain in PSNI custody as of Wednesday afternoon.

PSNI Inspector Kyle Rowntree said: "These arrests are as a result of good work of local officers in Strabane and Tactical Support Group colleagues.

“As enquiries continue, and as we liaise with An Garda Síochána, we're appealing to anyone who captured dash cam footage of a white Toyota Aqua, from around midnight, being driven between Lifford Bridge and Beltany Road in Omagh to call 101 and quote reference number 13 of 04/01/23."