Second arrest amid Ballymena search for ‘high-risk’ Chloe Mitchell

A second man (34) has now been arrested in the Ballymena area.

Police are pursuing a criminal investigation into the disappearance of Chloe Mitchell, 21, from Ballymena.

Mid and East Antrim District Commander, PSNI Superintendent Gillian Kearney said: "Police are becoming increasingly concerned about Chloe’s safety and we have launched a criminal investigation into her disappearance.

“It is completely out of character for her to not be in contact with her family, who are being supported by specialist officers during this worrying time.

“I am appealing to anyone who was travelling through the James Street area in Ballymena from 10pm on Friday, 2nd June and 5.40pm on Thursday, 8th June to think if they saw Chloe or anything unusual.

"I would also appeal for anyone with dash-cam footage during this period to bring it to police.”

A 26-year-old man was arrested in Lurgan, Co Armagh, on Thursday in connection with the case. He remains in police custody on Saturday afternoon, and police have now been granted a further 36 hours to question him.

Ms Mitchell was last seen on CCTV in the early hours of June 3 in Ballymena town centre.

Several of the searches have focused on the area around the Braid River in the Co Antrim town.

The Community Search and Rescue organisation has been assisting police in the operation.

On Friday, Superintendent Kearney said police are treating Ms Mitchell as a “high-risk missing person”.

Ms Mitchell’s brother Phillip has urged anyone with information to contact the family.

Asked by the BBC how much he is missing his sister, he said on Friday: “Words just can’t describe it, I am broke.”

Ms Mitchell was last seen by her family on Friday June 2 and was then captured in the late hours of that day and the early hours of Saturday June 3 in Ballymena town centre on CCTV.

She was walking in the direction of James Street in the town.