Police say missing man 'murdered'

Alan McCullough has been missing since Wednesday

A missing Belfast man, who fled from Northern Ireland following a loyalist paramilitary feud, may have been murdered, the police have said.

Alan McCullough was last seen leaving his home in the Shankill area of the city on Wednesday night.

A 40-year old north Belfast man was arrested on Saturday night by police investigating his disappearance.

Mr McCullough had recently returned to Northern Ireland after fleeing from his home following a feud within the loyalist Ulster Defence Association earlier this year.

It is understood the missing man was linked to the faction led by jailed Shankill loyalist Johnny Adair.

Police investigating his disappearance had been searching a reservoir in the Waterworks Park in north Belfast.

At this stage, we would have a belief that Alan may have been murdered

Will Kerr
Detective Chief Inspector

That search ended on Saturday afternoon after nothing was found.

The police have now turned their attention to a boat moored in Carrickfergus, County Antrim.

Detective Chief Inspector Will Kerr said they feared the worst.

"At this stage, we would have a belief that Alan may have been murdered," he said.

Shankill loyalist Johnny Adair was expelled from the UDA

"We have a significant team of detectives on this inquiry at the moment and we are resourcing it as a murder inquiry."

A number of people who were arrested and questioned about serious crime, following searches in the greater Belfast area, were released without charge on Saturday.

The bloody feud within the UDA was linked to the deaths of four men at the beginning of the year.

Johnny Adair and his associate John White were expelled from the UDA leadership last September, causing a split in the organisation.

In February, family and associates of Adair fled their homes for Scotland.

Adair remains in prison after the Northern Ireland Secretary, Paul Murphy, revoked his early release licence in January for his involvement in "a litany of terrorist crimes".