Search teams focused on finding missing Chloe Mitchell in Ballymena

Searches for missing woman Chloe Mitchell have resumed in Ballymena, Co Antrim, with a focus on her last known location.

LATEST: Police press conference on disappearance

The 21-year-old has not been seen since the early hours of Saturday 3 June, when she was seen on CCTV in Ballymena town centre.

An independent councillor for the area has called on people to avoid speculation and spreading rumours.

Meanwhile police are continuing to question a 26-year-old man who was arrested in Lurgan on Thursday.

The Community Rescue Service has been involved in the searches, which have included a search along the Braid River.

"Throughout yesterday we had approximately 50 to 60 volunteers on the ground, and this morning we have 15 to 20 with more en route at lunchtime," Darren Harper from the community organisation told UTV.

"From the moment we get the call-out for a high risk missing person, we are primarily focused on finding that missing person within the search areas.

"We're specifically targeting in around the Harryvale area which is the place we know Chloe was last seen.

"We will be here searching as much as we can in conjunction with police until Chloe is located."

Police directed the search and rescue team to a section of the river in the Castle Gardens area of Ballymena that included an embankment with an 18-feet drop.

Several Community Rescue Service vehicles including a specialist lowland search unit attended the site at the River Braid.

Ground teams searched the areas around the river but also close to a property in James Street, near to Ms Mitchell's last known whereabouts, which had been cordoned off by police.

Community groups in Ballymena had also been carrying out searches for Ms Mitchell on Thursday, including the Harryville Residents Association and Ballykeel and District Community Association.

Mr Harper maintained that the teams were still hoping to find Ms Mitchell.

"Ground teams again, we're searching for Chloe herself. As I say we're just systematically searching in and around the area at the minute," he said.

Police were knocking doors in the search areas around the river, asking residents if they were at home on Friday evening into Saturday morning and enquiring as to if they had CCTV at their property.

Independent councillor for Ballymena, Rodney Quigley, praised the efforts of the police and search and rescue teams, but said that people should not listen to rumours in relation to the case.

"There's a bit of confusion at the minute, I've heard different reports," he said.

"I want to stress that there's a lot of rumours going about and for people not to be listening to the rumours. Obviously it's a well-organised search and I feel the people just need to let search parties and the police continue with the search and investigation."

Mr Quigley added that in his discussions with members of the local community there was very little information on what may have happened to Ms Mitchell to result in her disappearance.

"I know she was a local girl, and she's been missing a week now, which is very concerning, but nobody seems to have seen or heard tell of her anywhere and I've been speaking to quite a few people," he said.

Community groups in Ballymena had also been carrying out searches for Ms Mitchell on Thursday, including the Harryville Residents Association and Ballykeel and District Community Association.

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