River body search 'not thorough'

The scene at Derrynoid Road, Draperstown

Police are being urged to explain how a man's body lay undiscovered in a car in a river for a week.

On 8 December, a member of the public reported to police he had seen tyre tracks leading into the water at a bridge on the Moyola river.

Police checked the scene at Derrynoid Road, Draperstown, but found nothing. A dog-walker spotted the car on Saturday.

Local District Policing Partnership chair Kate Lagan said she felt police searches had not been thorough enough.

"There are deep concerns about their follow-up when police were notified there were skid marks at that particular point," said the SDLP councillor.

"There was very heavy rain and the river was swollen - the car was carried up to 300 metres from the bridge where it entered the river."

The dead man was single and in his 40s. It is not believed he had been reported missing.

Tyre tracks

Police said in a statement that the incident was being treated as a road traffic collision.

"A member of the public reported to police on the afternoon of 8 December that he had come across tyre tracks at a bridge but could not see a vehicle.

"Police attended and checked the scene, however at that time there was no evidence that a vehicle had entered the river and no vehicle was discovered.

"Following a report on Saturday afternoon by a member of the public that a vehicle was in the river some distance from the bridge, officers recovered a vehicle and the body of a male."

A spokesperson said detectives could not comment further until investigations were completed.