Forensic examinations continue after three found dead

6 hours ago 3

The image has been taken on the side of a road. There is a T junction leading to a bungalow on top of a small hill. A police cordon and blue sign are preventing any traffic from travelling along the main road. A small white car is parked at the bottom of the hill. An ambulance and a number of other cars are outside the house. Two police officers are standing on the road.

Forensic examinations are continuing at a house in Ballymena where three people were found dead on Monday morning.

A murder investigation was launched after the three people, believed to have been a man and two females from the same family, were found at a house on the Cullybackey Road at 09:00 BST.

Police have said the cause of their deaths has not been formally established and post-mortem examinations are to be carried out.

However, they said they did not believe there was an ongoing risk to the public and they were not seeking anyone else in relation to the deaths.

At the scene on Tuesday morning, BBC News NI's Kelly Bonner said the area was subdued.

"The police cordon is still in place on the Cullybackey Road," she said. "Forensics are continuing their work at the house.

"This is quite a quiet area, it is quite a rural road.

"For neighbours and people living in this community, they are still trying to come to terms with what has happened."

A map showing Ballymena and the location of Old Cullybackey Road

The MP for the area, Jim Allister of the Traditional Unionist Voice, said it was an area "where people have lived as families for many, many years".

"So you can imagine the shock when something so alien as this happens in their very midst," he said.

"One of the things that's easily overlooked in this, we should think very much of the first responders who had to face this gruesome situation and the forensic officers and the police officers trying to deal with this.

"That can't be easy, sometimes we take their work for granted.

"I would also gently say to police that in order to counter speculation which is rife, they need to give as much information as they can in this situation, because otherwise speculation runs away with itself."

A police officer in full uniform is standing behind a blue and white cordon. This image is in a residential area. There are houses on the right and cars parked outside some o f them.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows said the entire town was devastated and police should be given "patience and time" to complete their investigation.

"The more information the police can get out the better, because there is a community in shock," he said.

Sinn Féin assembly member Philip McGuigan said speculation about what had happened was not helpful.

He said anybody who could help police should come forward.

Alliance Party assembly member Sian Mulholland also urged anyone with information to contact the police and said her thoughts were with everyone affected.

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