Lyra Mckee killing: £10,000 reward offered for information on journalist's murder in Londonderry

Detectives investigating journalist Lyra McKee’s murder have offered a £10,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of those responsible.

Ms McKee, 29, was shot dead while observing rioting in Londonderry last Thursday. Hundreds of mourners attended her funeral on Wednesday in Belfast.

Launching the reward for information Crimestoppers said it could "make all the difference in helping Lyra's loved ones and the wider community have the answers they deserve".

Mourners said they hoped pleas for action would not fall on deaf ears.

The congregation was led by Ms McKee's partner, aged 35, her mother Joan McKee, 68, brothers Gary and David and sisters Joan, Nichola and Mary.

Her family earlier paid tribute to a "gentle, innocent soul" whose "desire to bring people together made her totally apolitical".

Lyra's friends filled the pews wearing homemade £TeamLyra t-shirts, with Harry Potter-esque crests on the front.

Ms McKee was killed by indiscriminate fire as she observed clashes between police and New IRA dissidents on the Creggan estate on April 18.

The New IRA is an amalgam of armed groups opposed to the peace process and it recently claimed responsibility for parcel bombs sent to London and Glasgow in March.

Police believe the violence in Derry was orchestrated in response to an earlier search by officers aimed at averting imminent trouble associated with the anniversary of the Easter Rising.

Launching the reward for information, a spokesman for Crimestoppers, said it could "make all the difference in helping Lyra's loved ones and the wider community have the answers they deserve".

"This murder has sent shockwaves through the local community and across Northern Ireland. Indeed it has attracted global condemnation," they said.

"Ms McKee was merely doing her job as a freelance journalist.

"We know that this has affected all parts of the community and we urge anyone who has information about those who are responsible to come forward."

The independent organisation takes calls confidentially via a telephone or using an anonymous online form.

The spokesman said: "By contacting Crimestoppers, you stay 100 per cent anonymous. Always.

"You can pass on what you know, safe in the knowledge that you're doing the right thing. No-one will ever know you contacted us and you may also be entitled to a reward."

The reward will expire on July 24.

The number to call is 0800 555 111 or the anonymous online form is available at Crimestoppers-uk.org.