Two men have been charged over the attempted murder of an off-duty police officer in Northern Ireland two years ago, police said.

John Caldwell, then a DCI in the PSNI, was shot several times, allegedly by two men, while he was off duty and putting footballs in the boot of his car at a sports complex in Omagh, County Tyrone, in February 2023.

A 45-year-old man, arrested in Stewartstown in Tyrone, and a man aged 25, arrested in west Belfast, have both been charged with the preparation of terrorist acts and with perverting the course of justice.

The men are due to appear at Dungannon magistrates court on Wednesday.

The charges follow their arrests and subsequent detention under the Terrorism Act on Monday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said.

The PSNI said: “As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.”

Caldwell was a senior officer and has led high-profile investigations into paramilitaries and other criminals.

Caldwell retired from the PSNI last December on medical grounds.

He had been coaching a youth football match and was with his young son at the time of the shooting. He was released from Altnagelvin hospital in April 2023.