Former Royal Marine Ciaran Maxwell has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after admitting a series of Northern Ireland-linked terror offences.

Maxwell, 31, from Larne in Co Antrim, pleaded guilty earlier this year to preparing for a terrorist attack between January 2011 and August 2016 after it was revealed that he had been stashing explosives in purpose-built caches across England and Nortern Ireland.

During his trial the court heard that Maxwell "lived a double life as a bomb-maker for dissident Irish republicans".

In this capacity he reportedly used 43 purpose-built hides at eight locations in Northern Ireland and England to stash anti-personnel mines, mortars, ammunition and 14 pipe bombs.

Bomb-making materials were also found in barrels and buckets that had been buried in the ground by Maxwell as well as an adapted PSNI pass card, a PSNI uniform and a police stab-proof vest.