No information missing man Lee Johnston has come to harm, say police

By Rebecca Black (PA)

There is no information that a man who has been missing for several days has come to harm, a senior police officer has said.

Mid Ulster PSNI district commander Superintendent Michael O’Loan made a new public appeal for information about high-risk missing person Lee Johnston as he confirmed a new sighting.

Mr Johnston, 21, from the Coleraine area was reported missing to police on Friday.

Detectives have launched a criminal investigation as well as a missing person investigation.

Mr O’Loan said: “Lee was first reported missing to police on Friday evening, October 13, and we are becoming increasingly concerned about his safety.

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

“We have launched a criminal investigation into his disappearance to support the missing person investigation.

“Two people, a woman aged 31 and a man aged 33, who were arrested have since been released on police bail pending further enquiries.”

The officer added: “Lee has links to the Coleraine, Ballymena, Limavady and Cookstown areas.

“I am appealing directly to Lee to make contact with the police, family or friends so that we know you are safe and well.

“I am also asking the public to contact us if they have seen Lee. I know he was last seen on Saturday October 7.

“At 4pm we believe he was in the Mullagh Park area of Maghera.

“We then have a confirmed sighting of him in a supermarket on the Orritor Road in Cookstown at approximately 4.52pm. CCTV shows him in the store and going through a checkout.

“We now have a new confirmed sighting of him in the area of Dunmore Crescent, Cookstown, at 5.24pm that day.

“Please look at the photograph of Lee. He has short brown hair, blue eyes and around 5ft 9ins in height, and was last seen wearing a blue hooded top and tracksuit bottoms.”

Mr O’Loan added: “I am appealing to anyone who was travelling through the Mullagh Park area in Maghera between 3pm and 4pm on Saturday October 7 to think if they saw Lee or anything unusual or saw him following his visit to the supermarket after 5pm.

“If you did, please report it to police immediately.

“I would also appeal to anyone with dash-cam, CCTV or mobile footage that could help our enquiries, to also make contact with police on 101, quoting reference number 1782 13/10/23.”

The officer said that the longer Mr Johnston remained missing, the more police became concerned.

He said: “We have no information to say that Lee has come to harm and we are keeping an open mind around the circumstances of his disappearance.

“We have a number of lines of inquiry that we are following.”

Mid Ulster PSNI district commander Superintendent Michael O'Loan making a new appeal at Magherafelt PSNI station for information about missing man Lee Johnston