Proceedings were stopped for half an hour to allow specialist drug detection dogs to inspect defendants after concerns about drugs being brought into the court.

Dogs indicated on six people who were searched in a private room, but no drugs were found and no arrests were made.

PSNI Chief Inspector Simon Ball said: “A concern had been raised that people were coming to the court carrying drugs. They were discarding drugs paraphernalia in the court grounds.

“Between the police, the Courts Service and the judge it was agreed we would bring down the drugs dogs.

“The dogs — Jazz and Marty — will indicate if people are in possession or had recently been in contact with drugs. We had six ‘indications’ but after searches there were no positive detections.”

A spokesperson for the NI Courts and Tribunals Service said it was “aware that a police detection dog would be present in Ballymena Courthouse but is unable to comment on PSNI operations”.