Search teams are covering a large area in Ballymena
A second man has been arrested by police investigating the disappearance of a 21-year-old County Antrim woman.
Chloe Mitchell, who is described as a “high-risk missing person”, was last seen in Ballymena between the night of 2 June and the early hours of 3 June.
Her brother Phillip Mitchell said he is “broken” by his sister’s disappearance and appealed for information.
A 34-year-old man was arrested on Saturday morning and remains in police custody.
Police have been granted a further 36 hours to question a 26-year-old man who was arrested in Lurgan in County Armagh earlier this week.
Police have said they are “increasingly concerned” for the young woman’s safety and have renewed their appeal for information.
“It is completely out of character for her to not be in contact with her family, who are being supported by specialist officers during this worrying time,” Supt Gillian Kearney said on Saturday.
“I am appealing to anyone who was travelling through the James Street area in Ballymena from 10pm on Friday, 2nd June and 5.40pm on Thursday, 8th June to think if they saw Chloe or anything unusual.
“I would also appeal for anyone with dash-cam footage during this period to bring it to police.”
Both police and the Community Rescue Service have been conducting searches in and around Ballymena since Thursday night.
Image source, PSNI
Chloe Mitchell has been missing for a week
There have been detailed searches in the Harryville area, the River Braid, surrounding parklands and the Ecos centre.
On Saturday, undergrowth, river banks and bins were being checked.
Police are conducting door-to-door inquiries close to a flat in James Street.
Police and rescue personnel conducted searches along the Braid River in the County Antrim town in the past few days
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said Ms Mitchell was seen on CCTV walking in the direction of James Street last weekend.
Supt Kearney has made a direct appeal to the young woman.
“I am appealing directly to Chloe to make contact with the police, family or friends so that we know you are safe and well,” she said.
Chloe was last seen wearing a green and black The North Face-style jacket, a white t-shirt, leggings and Nike trainers.
One of the search sites on Friday evening was close to the ECOS centre near Ballymena
Darren Harper from Community Rescue Service said it was a “pretty significant operation” on the river and its banks.
“We do have the water technical team in the water and [on] the river banks and we also have ground teams searching other areas,” he said on Friday.
He said difficult terrain, with dense shrubbery, brambles and steep river banks made the search difficult.
