A MAN is due in court following the discovery of a suspicious bag in Co. Derry.
The bag, which police said contained ‘a number of items’, was found with a bike in the Strand Road area of Coleraine on Thursday, February 13.
The discovery of the bag and its contents prompted police to increase patrols in the area, while local politicians issued warnings for residents to stay vigilant.
Police have now revealed they arrested a man in the nearby Portstewart area on Saturday morning and that he has since been charged.
“A significant policing operation has been in place to identify the person responsible for the discovery made by a member of our local community,” Superintendent McIldowney of the PSNI said on Saturday.
“Local officers have worked relentlessly through countless hours of CCTV and forensic enquiries, and engaged with a significant number of people across the borough.
“Today we can confirm that we have a 40-year-old male from the local area in police custody.
“He has been arrested on suspicion of a number of domestic abuse related offences.
“Our investigation is ongoing and we have been engaging with the victim and providing them with support.”
Superintendent McIldowney added: “As a Police Service our focus is to intervene early, relentlessly pursue perpetrators and disrupt any predatory behaviours in all spaces to keep women and girls safe.”
Later on Saturday, the PSNI confirmed the man had been charged with common assault, false imprisonment, possession of an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence, domestic abuse offences and two counts of theft.
He is expected to appear before Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on Monday.