PSNI investigate teen's murder

Police in Northern Ireland were today investigating the murder of a teenage girl whose half naked body was discovered dumped in a quarry.

The body of the 16-year-old, named locally as Megan McAlorum, was discovered near Belfast, on a desolate stretch of land half a mile from the Glenside Road, Dunmurry.

Some of her clothing had been removed and detectives probing the killing were attempting to establish whether any sex attack was involved.

The local parish priest was comforting her distraught parents, Frankie and Margaret.

Megan’s step-grandmother, Kathy McAlorum said: “It near killed me when I heard and her parents are just distracted.”

Forensic experts were trawling through the area where her body was found. They are expected to spend up to four days at the scene looking for clues that could lead to the killer.

One security source said: “We don’t know at this stage whether there was a sexual assault or not, but there is no doubt we are dealing with the murder of a young female.”

Police were called in when Megan’s parents reported her missing following a night out.

“She went out last night socialising in the area and never came home,” one source said yesterday.

“Her body was half naked, and rumours in the area about what happened to her are running rife.”

Megan, of Glencolin Way in the Lenadoon area of the city, is believed to have recently left St Genevieve’s High School in west Belfast.

According to unconfirmed reports a member of the travelling community living on a camp near the disused quarry discovered the teenager’s body.

As detectives attempted to piece together her final movements, there were also apparent sightings of her on Sunday night outside a fast food bar and a pub in the area.

The killing has plunged an entire community into a state of shock and anger, according to a councillor for the area.

Sinn Féin representative Gerard O’Neill said: “This is a terrible horror that has fallen upon that family. There’s just total shock locally that this type of thing can happen.”