Leaving Europe could help build training college at Desertcreat in Cookstown

That is the claim from Mid Ulster UKIP man Alan Day. The assembly election candidate outlined his rationale for the Brexit boost for the area.

“With all the shenanigans surrounding the building of the new police college now putting the whole project in doubt it should be noted that the devolved institutions would be due a windfall after a vote to leave the European Union from the £10bn net contribution the UK makes annually,” he said.

“A fully funded police & fire college would be a drop in the ocean.

“As someone denied a career on the police due to the discriminatory 50/50 recruitment policy I would welcome a world class police training facility to Mid Ulster that thankfully would now train recruits selected on merit.”

During a visit to Cookstown last month, both the First and Deputy First Minister reaffirmed their commitment to the major project, with Mr McGuinnes saying he believed work would ‘start shortly’.