John Caldwell shooting: Police release CCTV footage of gunmen's car

Police have released CCTV footage of the car used by the gunmen who shot a top police officer in Northern Ireland.

Dissident republican group the New IRA has admitted it shot Det Ch Insp John Caldwell in Omagh on Wednesday.

A blue Ford Fiesta had been bought two weeks prior to the attack and stored in Belfast, where its plates were changed.

Police said a £20,000 award had been offered for information. Det Ch Insp Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has described the senior detective as a "man of extraordinary courage".

At a press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday, he said their thoughts were with the Caldwell family after the "abhorrent" shooting.

'Callous disregard'

Six people remain in police custody for questioning: The youngest is 22 and the oldest is aged 71.

Two gunmen shot 10 bullets at Det Ch Insp Caldwell in a busy sports complex car park at 20:00 GMT last Wednesday.

The 48-year-old was loading footballs into his car with his son having coached a training session for the Beragh Swifts football team at Youth Sport Omagh when the gunmen approached.

Children ran in terror when the shots rang out: At least two other vehicles were struck by bullets.

A typed statement from the New IRA appeared on a wall in Derry

Giving an update on Monday, Det Ch Supt Eamonn Corrigan confirmed at least 10 shots were fired.

The attack showed the callous disregard the gunmen had for the children and adults at the scene, he added.

The car - registration number MGZ 6242 - was purchased in Ballyclare on Wednesday 8 February and was seen travelling towards Belfast on the M2 that night.

Fitted with false plates, FRZ 8414, it was next noted leaving Belfast at about 21:30 on Tuesday 21 February - the night before the attack - and travelled along the M1 in the direction of Coalisland and Omagh.

It was later found burnt out at Racolpa Road, outside Omagh.

The New IRA claimed responsibility in a typed statement that was taped to a wall beside shops in the Creggan estate on Sunday night.

A forensic team was at the scene on Monday morning and removed it for further examination.

Dissident republicans oppose the 1998 Good Friday Agreement peace deal and continue to use violence to attempt to unite Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland.

The New IRA's admission was not unexpected, given what the police had already stated, but the manner in which it did it was unusual.

It normally issues claims of responsibility for attacks to the Irish News newspaper.

Also it did so on this occasion while suspects are in police custody.

That is viewed as the group feeling emboldened by the attack on Det Ch Insp Caldwell.

It also appears to want to use the statement to attempt to heighten security concerns among officers.

The attack marks an escalation in New IRA activity - something the Police Service of Northern Ireland had been concerned about.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan said police were aware of the claim of responsibility.

"We are currently reviewing its contents as part of the overall investigation," he said.

"On Friday we confirmed that we were treating the attempted murder of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell as terrorist-related and our primary line of enquiry was the New IRA."

• Timeline of Irish dissident republican activity

• Who is the detective shot in Omagh attack?

• Why police in Northern Ireland are still targets

Det Ch Insp Caldwell is one of the Police Service of Northern Ireland's best known detectives, often fronting press conferences on major inquiries during his 26-year career.

On Saturday, more than 1,000 people took part in a rally in Omagh to show support for Det Ch Insp Caldwell.

People also gathered in the village of Beragh for a solidarity walk.

Meanwhile police say a security alert that was ongoing from Saturday in Beragh's Dervaghroy Road has now ended.

They said a number of airsoft guns, which are replica guns which fire plastic pellets, were recovered and all roads have since reopened.