Four men charged with drug offences have been granted anonymity orders amid fears that court reports are being used by vigilantes and rival gangs to track down people believed to be dealers.

The defendants, who are jointly accused of possessing and intending to supply to cocaine, appeared before Omagh Magistrates by separate video-link as police were concerned they may hear what each of them said about the others.

The terms of the anonymity order were so strict that all reference to the case was removed from court listings.

It only came to light because court and local democracy reporter Tanya Fowles was present in court when the hearing took place.

Said Tanya, pictured: “It was an overnight charge and I covered the case as it happened. Unless press are there for such cases it would never have seen the light of day.

“If we encounter the case after the order granted we have no way of getting the details.

“In any other instance Court Service would provide the charges even if the identities can’t be reported but because of the terms of the Anonymity Order Court Service say they are equally bound by the order.”

Granting anonymity orders for all four accused, Judge Barney McElholm said: “Certain illegal organisations have made it clear they will use court reports as a source of intelligence to track people they believe to be drug dealers.”

The case is the latest instance of the increasing use of anonymity orders by the courts in Northern Ireland.

Tanya and HTFP have highlighted previous cases in which paedophiles have been given lifetime anonymity after claims they could self-harm if publicly identified.

A police officer told the court on the evening of 27 March they received intelligence around suspected drugs activity at an address in Derry/Londonderry.

On entering the property two males jumped out a rear window but both were quickly detailed and approximately 40gms of suspected cocaine was located where one of the men had been seated along with £100 cash.

A third male was found to have two small bags of cannabis and another containing suspected cocaine, while a fourth male was found in another bedroom and a search uncovered £4,000 cash, a list of telephone numbers which is believed to relate to cash owed and other drugs paraphernalia.

Two of the four were remanded in custody while the other two were bailed on strict terms including residence at addresses approved by police and no contact with any co-accused.