One man is due in court on Monday while another man and woman have been arrested

A man has been charged a man to court and two further arrests made after a PSNI officer was seriously injured after being hit with a stolen police car.

A shot was fired at the car in the incident that occurred on Sunday morning, May 31, in Downpatrick. Police have opened an attempted murder investigation, saying the act had the potential to cause “fatal injuries”.

Before 5am on Sunday, a vehicle failed to stop for police in the Fountain Street area and was later located in the Ballymote Walk area.

A man was then seen running from the vehicle and a foot pursuit ensued towards the Colmcille Road.

In an update on Monday morning, detectives investigating the incident said they have charged a man to court and made two further arrests. The man, aged 27, has been charged with dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and using a motor vehicle with no insurance.

He is due to appear before Downpatrick Magistrates’ Court today, Monday 1st June. He has been bailed to allow for further enquiries in respect of driving whilst unfit, and aggravated vehicle taking causing injury and released unconditionally in respect of attempted murder and a number of driving-related offences.

As is usual procedure, the charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.

Meanwhile, a man aged 36 has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and aggravated vehicle taking causing injury. A woman aged 27 has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.

Both remain in custody at this time while enquiries continue.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones said on Sunday: “As officers returned to their police car, someone was in the driver’s seat – driving erratically and directly towards an officer. The officer discharged one round from his firearm.

“The officer was struck by the vehicle – causing serious injuries. The vehicle was subsequently abandoned a short time later. The suspect made off from the scene.

“Urgent medical treatment was provided at the scene by police colleagues, who were also supported by members of the local community.

“The officer was taken to hospital by colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service for treatment to his injuries believed to be serious, but thankfully not life-threatening at this time.”

She added: “Officers put themselves on the front line to help keep people safe – they do not deserve to be assaulted for simply doing their job, and today’s incident is a stark reminder of the dangers they face.

“Our thoughts are with the officer as he receives ongoing medical treatment today for his injuries in hospital. And we will continue to support him and his family.

“This would have been a terrifying experience for the officer and also his colleagues – with the clear potential to cause life-changing or even fatal injuries.

“Actions were taken this morning in defence of life to protect himself and fellow officers.

“Detectives from our Serious Crime branch have now launched an attempted murder investigation – with their enquiries continuing at pace.”

The Police Ombudsman confirmed it had been notified of the firing of a round, and its investigators attended the scene.

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Commuters on the Elizabeth Line and other trains into London face major disruption today after a points failure near Slough.

Great Western Railway passengers are being warned to expect cancellations, delays and revisions until 3pm.

The problems are affecting services across the GWR network, centring on London Paddington station.

Meanwhile, there are severe delays on the Elizabeth Line between Hayes & Harlington and Reading.

Tickets are being accepted on London Buses, Great Western Railway and South Western Railway, and there is good service on the rest of the line.

Separately, there is no service on the Jubilee line between Finchley Road and Waterloo while engineers fix a signal failure at Green Park.

The issue has also resulted in severe delays on the rest of the line.

This morning’s disruption comes a day before much of the Tube network is set to grind to a halt due to strike action.

Drivers from the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are due to walk out on Tuesday and Thursday in a dispute over ‘proposed compressed four-day working arrangements’.

The strikes, which will last from midnight to midnight on both days, will mean no service on the Circle line, the Piccadilly line, the Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate, and the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street.

Services are expected to go ahead on other London Underground lines on both days.

However, the Tube will start late and finish early, with commuters advised to finish their travels by 9pm on both days.

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Today’s document release will be the second largest submitted to the House of Commons in its history, after the Chilcot report, which was handed to the lower Parliamentary chamber in 2016.

The UK’s Iran inquiry found that the 2003 invasion of Iraq, under then PM Tony Blair, was unnecessary, based on flawed intelligence, and launched prematurely before diplomats had exhausted all available peaceful options.

North Yorkshire Police say that at about 6.30pm on Sunday (May 31) emergency services were called to the River Wharfe near Burnsall in the Skipton area after a 13-year-old girl was reported missing in the river.

A short time later she was rescued from the water and taken to hospital by air ambulance.

A force spokesman said: “Despite the efforts of members of the public at the scene and medical staff at the scene and in hospital, she sadly died.

“At this stage we are not in a position to release her identity.

“Our thoughts remain with her family at this very distressing time and we ask members of the public and the media to respect the family’s privacy and allow them to grieve in peace.

“Our thanks go to the members of the public who helped at the scene.”

The summer window is yet to open but the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool are already working on new signings. Premier League champions Arsenal are set for another huge summer, with Morgan Rogers a key target as Mikel Arteta demands four new players. A left-sided attacker is the dream, along with a new striker, midfielder and right-back, and Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi is also of interest.

Services are being diverted while works take place

Passengers are facing nine days of disruption as two Metrolink tram stops are closed in Manchester city centre. No trams will call at either Shudehill or Market Street tram stops from today (June 1) to next Tuesday, June 9, with normal service expected to resume next Wednesday.

The closure is to allow improvement works to take place in the city centre, according to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). It means that no trams on the Altrincham and Bury lines will call at Shudehill, Market Street, Piccadilly or Piccadilly Gardens.

All services on the line will run between Bury and Altrincham via Exchange Square, in both directions. Trams on the Trafford Centre line will run to Etihad Campus, rather than Crumpsall as normal, while services between Manchester Airport and Victoria will run via Exchange Square.

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A post on TfGM’s website said: “Customers may need to change trams, take a short walk or hop on the free bus to continue their journey. Outside of free bus operating times, a replacement bus will operate between Piccadilly and Victoria.

“For customers on the Bury and Altrincham lines, the easiest way to reach Piccadilly will be by changing trams at St Peters Square. You may need to change platforms for the right trams, see departure boards and signage on stop for more details.”

Meanwhile, passengers will face further disruption on Sunday (June 7), when track renewal work takes place on the Rochdale line. There will be no trams running between Victoria and Rochdale Town Centre that day as a result, with a bus replacement service in place.