A 14-year-old boy has been charged with attempting to obtain a Russian sub-machine gun and 100 rounds of ammunition with intent to endanger life.

The accused appeared before Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Saturday.

A detective said she believed the teenager's intention was to intimidate another person after using the "dark web" in a bid to obtain the lethal haul.

He was detained in a police operation at the Riverside retail park, in Coleraine on Thursday morning.

He had allegedly handed over £150 for the ammunition to an operative, police said, believing he could further purchase a machine gun.

The offences are alleged to have occurred between March 27 and April 7.