'Security document' stolen from Castlereagh, Minister confirms

Security Minister Ian Pearson has confirmed that a security document has been stolen from Castlereagh police station in east Belfast.

Mr Pearson was responding to reports in the press in recent days about a security breach.

In a statement issued today, the Minister said that there was an on-going police investigation "into the disappearance of a document from a room in the Castlereagh Complex".

"I have confirmed with senior officers in PSNI that there are no indications that material has fallen into the hands of paramilitaries," the statement read.

"The police take extremely seriously their duty of care where they have assessed that anyone is in danger.

"They have demonstrated in the past the lengths that they will go to warn people in these circumstances."

Today's statement follows the recent questioning of a man in connection with the stolen document earlier this month however, he was later released without charge.

Two years ago in a similar situation, sensitive documents were stolen during a raid at Special Branch offices in the same complex resulting in enhanced security.

(MB)