Major search for missing teenager

16 July 2011 Last updated at 11:05 GMT A teenager who went missing overnight after falling from a pier in Donegal had been enjoying a birthday celebration.

The 17-year-old man, believed to be from Derry, fell into the water at Rathmullan pier, Donegal at about 0130 BST on Saturday.

Irish police, the coastguard and lifeboat crews have taken part in overnight searches along the lough.

The youth's family are keeping watch at the pier where he was last seen.

Joe Joyce from Lough Swilly RNLI said an extensive search was carried out overnight fro Rathmullan to Ramelton and Letterkenny.

The coastguard helicopter joined in.

"Conditions were not great. There was a lot of cloud cover and mist. We did a number of parallel searches along the lough using flares to illuminate the area," he said.

"The coastguard and the helicopter were there using infra red technology to detect the person.

"We searched all night."

A diving club and local people are helping look for the missing man.

"I believe it was just a birthday celebration that went wrong," Mr Joyce said.

"I know the family are there on the pier keeping watch."

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Disappeared search: body exhumed

28 June 2011 Last updated at 15:31 GMT Columba McVeigh disappeared in 1975 The organisation responsible for finding the remains of the "disappeared" of the Northern Ireland troubles have announced details of a search in the Republic of Ireland.

Remains are to be exhumed from a church graveyard near Scotstown, County Monaghan.

Previous digs in the search for Columba McVeigh have taken place nearby.

Mr McVeigh,17, from Donaghmore, County Tyrone, was abducted and murdered by the IRA in 1975.

North Monaghan coroner, Dr Martin Watters, confirmed he authorised the exhumation from a named grave in a cemetery next to a church in Urbleshanny.

"In the recent past I gave the go ahead for an exhumation to identify the remains within that grave," he said.

"It was an official grave within the graveyard."

An Irish police spokesman said detectives and officials in the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) received information about a body buried in a grave where another set of remains is interred.

"The purpose of the exhumation is to carry out a forensic examination to establish if a victim that comes within the remit of the Commission was buried at this location," the spokesman said.

State pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy, ICLVR staff and scientists were all on site for the exhumation.

The Irish police spokesman said that subsequent forensic examination of the remains would take some time.

Despite extensive searches in County Monaghan, Mr McVeigh's remains have yet to be found.

His mother had campaigned tirelessly on her son's case before her death in 2007.

ICLVR has overseen the discovery of seven bodies and numerous searches since it was set up in 1999 to locate those murdered and buried in secret graves by republican paramilitaries during the troubles.

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Search for missing moor rave man

27 May 2011 Last updated at 18:29 GMT Devon and Cornwall Police say Joel Andrews' disappearance appears to be out of character Friends and family of a man who went missing from a rave on Dartmoor have joined a police search for him.

Joel Andrews, 24, of Caldicot, Monmouthshire, was last seen at the Fernworthy Reservoir area near Chagford in the early hours of Sunday.

Specially trained officers from Devon and Cornwall Police's Tactical Aid Group and Local Policing team are searching the area he disappeared.

Police said his disappearance was described as out of character.

Mr Andrews was wearing a grey Animal hooded top and jeans and a dark green waist-length jacket.

Det Insp Brett Mitchell, who is leading the inquiry, said: "We now know that Joel was last seen at midday on Sunday 22 May and he was still at the site where the rave was held.

"I would urge anyone who attended and may have seen Joel to please contact police as they may have a vital piece of information that will allow us to find him."

His cousin, Emma Scott, said it was "really nice that people are putting in the effort".

She said: "Everybody's pulled together to help us try to find him.

"The more coverage we can get the better, because we just want to get him home now."

A Facebook page has been created by friends who joined the search for Mr Andrews.

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