Anyone arrested and detained by police in Fermanagh is now being taken to custody facilities in Dungannon or Omagh and not Enniskillen.

This is because the custody suite at Enniskillen Police Station has been closed for almost a year as refurbishment works is carried out.

The consequences of that, according to close sources, is that transporting detainees to facilities outside the county is putting pressure on police resources.

A spokeswoman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland says the suite has been closed "temporarily", though it's understood the project has been hit with a number of delays.

"Our overarching priority is to create a more effective and efficient custody service," a spokeswoman told this newspaper.

"Custody facilities are strategically provided across the service, with officers being directed to the nearest and most appropriate custody suite at the time of arrest. Those people detained in the Fermanagh area will mainly be taken to facilities in Dungannon or Omagh," she said.

The PSNI custody reform strategy aims to provide fit for purpose custody facilities across Northern Ireland, said the spokeswoman, with appropriately trained police officers and staff to keep people safe whilst detained in police custody.

In a statement, PSNI Superintendent Clive Beatty said: “It is incumbent on me to ensure that any people detained locally receive the care most appropriate to their needs".

"Officers across the District have a range of powers and disposals available to them and an arrest is not always necessary to ensure justice is done and seen to be done. Should an arrest be necessary, adequate resources are available across the District to ensure frontline services are not adversely affected and the community can be assured that their call for service will receive the appropriate response based on the individual circumstances of the incident being reported," he said.

In a statement issued to The Impartial Reporter DUP Councillor Keith Elliott said: “It is important that during this change there is no direct impact on the justice system".

"The PSNI Custody Reform Strategy aims to improve facilities across Northern Ireland and I know this approach will be welcomed here in Enniskillen. I am happy to speak with the PSNI if the public feel that this temporary change is having an adverse impact on the justice system and general crime levels," he told this newspaper.