PSNI arrest former Police Ombudsman investigators involved in 'Derry Four' probe

Two former investigators with the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman’ s Office are to be reported to the Public Prosecution Service as part of a PSNI investigation into alleged criminal activity within the policing watchdog.

The pair, aged 62 and 67, were detained in England on Tuesday and were brought to Northern Ireland for questioning

The arrests are in connection with alleged misconduct within the office of the Police Ombudsman.

Detectives have been examining the Police Ombudsman's investigation of the RUC's treatment of the so-called “Derry Four” who, as teenagers, were charged with the murder of a soldier in 1979.

The four - Gerry McGowan, Stephen Crumlish, Michael Toner and Gerry Kelly (pictured), from Creggan - were all aged 17 when they were charged with the murder of Lt. Stephen Andrew Kirby in Derry 37 years ago.

They fled across the border and remained outside the jurisdiction for almost 20 years until they were acquitted in 1998.

Their treatment by the RUC was investigated by the Police Ombudsman and in 2012, the matter was referred to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).

The prosecution of two former police officers in connection with their interrogations collapsed in 2014 after the PPS received new information from the Ombudsman’s office.

Following the collapse, the PSNI was called in by the Police Ombudsman to look at how the complaint by the four men was investigated.