Two men charged over murder and disappearance of Chloe Mitchell, 21, in Ballymena

Police launched murder inquiry after suspected human remains found in Ballymena

Police have arrested and charged two men over the disappearance and murder of County Antrim woman Chloe Mitchell, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said in a statement.

A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder, and a 34-year-old man was charged with assisting in an offence.

Both men are due to appear before Ballymena Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning.

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Mitchell launched a murder inquiry on Sunday after suspected human remains were found in Ballymena.

Ms Mitchell, 21, was last seen on CCTV in the early hours of 3 June in Ballymena town centre in Northern Ireland.

“Sadly, today detectives have recovered suspected human remains in Ballymena, and while there has been no formal identification, we have now launched a murder inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of 21-year-old Chloe Mitchell, who was a high-risk, missing person,” Detective Chief Inspector Richard Millar, of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, had earlier said.

“Our thoughts this evening are very much with Chloe’s family and we have specialist officers providing them with support at this heart-breaking time.”

A 26-year-old man was arrested on Thursday in connection with the police investigation and he was being questioned on Sunday, with officers securing a 36-hour extension to his detention.

The 34-year-old man was detained in the Ballymena area on Saturday.

Forensic officers attended a flat in the James Street area of Ballymena on Sunday evening. The property had been cordoned off by police earlier in the week.

The discovery came after extensive searches across Ballymena over recent days.

Members of the Community Rescue Service (CRS) assisted police in the major search operation in Ballymena.

In a statement on Sunday night, the volunteer-based organisation said: "The CRS would like to thank the people of Ballymena, those who live and work in the Harryville area and especially Chloe‘s family and friends for their exceptional support during our operations."

Additional reporting by agencies