Other NI News In Brief

Badges 'Help Heroes'

Sales of specially commissioned Help For Heroes badges across the Newtownabbey area have raised well over £1,000 as aid for servicemen and women. Old soldier, Jimmy Hunter, 80, who lives at O'Neill Road, Newtownabbey, arranged for the badges to be made and then sold across a variety of venues – with a total of £1,400 raised since Easter. He is pictured here handing over the cash to John Dumigan, Secretary of Whiteabbey Royal British Legion who accepted the funds on behalf of the Help for Heroes charity. Jimmy, who is Vice President of the Whiteabbey Royal British Legion Club, said it had been a family affair – and praised the work of many members of his family and various friends and Royal British Legion comrades who helped sell the distinctive Help for Heroes lapel badges. John Dumigan (pictured on left) welcomed the cash and said it remained an important cause, especially as service personnel continued to sacrifice their lives on a regular basis in Afghanistan.

Gregory Faces Online Threats

A DUP MP has become the victim of an online 'hate campaign' following his outspoken views on Bloody Sunday. DUP representative Gregory Campbell has been subjected to an array of threatening and disparaging comments on popular social networking website Facebook. A sinister image - which has since been removed - was also displayed of the East Londonderry politician against the backdrop of a Nazi poster. The image showed a bullet hole clearly visible on Mr Campbell's forehead, with blood flowing from the wound. The MP has now reported the matter to the PSNI for investigation.

Campbell Condemns Vandalism

A top DUP man, Gregroy Campbell, has condemned an attack on a memorial sculpture commemorating the victims of Bloody Sunday that has been vandalised in the Bogside. Work on the carved brick sculpture was almost completed when it was damaged at the Gasyard on Saturday night. The MP said he has been told the incident was not sectarian in nature, and has condemned it without reservation. He was speaking on BBC radio Ulster this morning in respect of threats to him over Bloody Sunday comments on the Internet.

Tour Of North Peaceful

A loyal order parade, the Tour of the North has passed off peacefully and without incident at the weekend, despite fears that dissident republicans would use Friday night's north Belfast parade to increase sectarian tensions ahead of the marching season.

Tragic Swimmer Found

A body recovered from the River Lagan following an extensive search, police have confirmed. The male, named as Michael Young, 22, went into the water in south Belfast at about 6am on Saturday. Hew as with four other men also went in the water at Cutter's Wharf - all of whom were treated at Belfast City Hospital. Since then, police diving teams and other emergency services were involved in the rescue operation.

Body Recovered From Mayo Lake

Members of the local emergency services have recovered the body of a man who drowned in a lake in Co Mayo. Alan McNeilly, 27, had gone swimming in a small mountain lake near Bangor Erris yesterday afternoon. His girlfriend, who was with him at the time, raised the alarm after she lost sight of him. Gardaí and emergency services personnel launched an immediate search of the eight-metre deep lake, known locally as Stoney Lake, which was also partially drained to assist the operation. The body was discovered this morning and taken to Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar where a post mortem examination will be carried out. A Coastguard helicopter had to draft the team into the isolated area, which is about 5km from the nearest road.

(BMcC/GK)