Ombudsman probe into alleged police collusion in loyalist murders

Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman is to launch an investigation into allegations of police collusion and criminality related to 21 loyalist murders during the Troubles, a court has heard.

The investigation will examine the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) shooting of prominent republican Sam Marshall in Lurgan, Co Armagh in 1990 and 20 other killings attributed to the terror group’s notorious mid Ulster gang around the same timeframe in the same general area.

Mr Marshall, 31, was shot minutes after he left Lurgan Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) Station on March 7 1990.