THE Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) agreed today to pay significant damages to two journalists inappropriately arrested over material that appeared in a documentary on a Troubles massacre.

It is understood the PSNI has also agreed to delete material it seized from Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey when it raided their homes and offices in August 2018.

The total includes £600,000 to Fine Point Films, £150,000 to Mr Birney and £125,000 to Mr McCaffrey.

Mr McCaffrey and Mr Birney were arrested over the alleged theft of a police watchdog document that appeared in their film No Stone Unturned about a notorious loyalist massacre in Loughinisland during the Northern Ireland Troubles.

Six men were shot dead while watching football in a pub in the County Down village in the summer of 1994.

Reacting to the settlement, Mr Birney said: “Today marks an end to the legal process I began in a police cell on August 31 2018 after being arrested and my home and offices raided by dozens of PSNI and Durham police.

“We launched a judicial review in the face of the PSNI’s most egregious attack on journalism to protect our journalism, our sources, and press freedom itself.

“Over the past two years, the PSNI fought our attempts to protect our journalism and sources every step of the way.

“They sought to defend their indefensible attack on press freedom right up until the judgement delivered by the Lord Chief Justice in July this year.

“Journalists in this jurisdiction now need to see [police chief] Simon Byrne take all steps necessary to ensure accountability for the PSNI’s despicable attack on press freedom and to assure the press that lessons have been learned.”