Burglars break into Co Down police station

Burglars have broken into a police station in the North, it emerged tonight.

The raiders searched through the base in Ballynahinch, Co Down – which is staffed rounded the clock but under renovation – without taking anything.

An Assembly member for the area said weapons or confidential documents could have been stolen from the unlocked station.

Jim Wells, a South Down DUP MLA, said: “The reality is that station was wide open.

“Somebody broke into the police station, going through papers and ransacking it.

“When staff came back they found it had been burgled.”

Officers were out on patrol when the thieves clambered in some time last night.

Mr Wells described the raid as highly embarrassing for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

No alarms went off to alert them to the burglary, he added.

And he demanded answers over the apparent security breach.

The Assemblyman asked: “Why were there weapons stored in a police station which was under renovation and workmen going in and out?”

Police discovered the break-in at the base, normally staffed 24 hours a day, this morning.

A spokeswoman for the force confirmed no officers were inside at the time.

She added: “No police property was stolen.”