Two men were arrested in Northern Ireland today by police investigating an alleged rape and a security breach at a RAF base.

A series of incidents which police believe to be linked started with the theft of a black car in Lisburn, Co Antrim.

Some time later the PSNI were alerted to a serious sexual assault at a house a few miles away at Crumlin, Co Antrim - a girl thought to be in her mid-teens alleged she had been raped.

A PSNI spokesman said a short time later it was reported that a black car had breached security at RAF Aldergrove, a few miles from Crumlin.

Soon after noon the black car stolen in Lisburn was recovered at Legann Street in the Ballysillan area of north Belfast.

The police spokesman said two men were arrested a short time later on the nearby Crumlin Road and were being questioned about all the incidents which, he said, were believed to be linked.

He appealed for anyone with information about the sex attack to contact detectives.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed there had been a breach of security at RAF Aldergrove.

A spokesman said a car was smashed through a perimeter fence at the Co Antrim base and spent several minutes inside before being driven back through the torn fence.

It is understood the incident happened at a quiet part of the base well away from the main gate and that the intruder or intruders were monitored while inside.

The security fence had been repaired, the spokesman said.