New searches in case of murdered schoolboy

Detectives hunting the killers of Belfast schoolboy Thomas Devlin carried out new searches in a loyalist housing estate today.

Officers returned to Mount Vernon, where much of their inquiry has centred since the 15-year-old was stabbed to death in August 2005.

They trawled through a property in the Ross House complex, a police spokeswoman confirmed.

Thomas was attacked on the Somerton Road, close to his north Belfast home, as he returned from a garage.

He was stabbed up to five times in the back.

During an earlier search at Ross House police brought in a specially trained sniffer dog.

That was prompted by the discovery of a knife nearby. The weapon has since undergone forensic tests.

Despite making 12 arrests so far, police have yet to charge anyone with Thomas's murder.