PSNI Appeal For Information On Ronan Kerr Murder

Detectives investigating the murder of Constable Ronan Kerr in Omagh last April have issued a detailed appeal for assistance and information from the local community about a number of unidentified vehicles and one unidentified man in the area around Highfield Close in the period leading up to the explosion.

25-year-old Constable Kerr died after a booby-trap bomb exploded under his car in Highfield Close at 3:45pm on Saturday 2 April last year as he left his apartment to go to work in Enniskillen.

This latest appeal focuses on 11 unidentified vehicles and one unidentified man in the vicinity of Highfield Close in the days leading up to the murder and on the day itself.

The officer leading the investigation, Detective Superintendent Raymond Murray, from Serious Crime Branch, said: "These vehicles and the man are significant for one of two reasons. They are either valuable witnesses or potential suspects. That is why we need anyone who knows anything about these appeals to come forward so that we can progress the investigation."

The number to call is 028 8225 6687 which will connect callers directly to the special incident room in Omagh.

The investigation into Constable Kerr's murder and a linked series of incidents which include an arms find, attempted murders, armed robberies and a number of other terrorist attacks is one of the most extensive since the Omagh bombing in 1998.

To date, there have been 56 searches, 10 arrests and one person charged as part of the overall investigation. The charge relates to a linked incident. A comprehensive forensic strategy is being progressed involving hundreds of exhibits being submitted for examination at laboratories in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the United States.

(CD/GK)