Other NI News In Brief

City Shooting Probed

The PSNI are investigating after shots were fired in north Belfast on Monday night. They said today that a number of bullet casings have been found in the Glenview Street area but noted there are no reports of anyone being injured or of any damage caused to properties. They say enquiries into the incident are ongoing. Alliance North Belfast representative Cllr Billy Webb has condemned those responsible and said: "I am shocked at this incident which has caused great concern to people in the area. I am only glad that nobody was injured in this incident. I would urge anybody with any information about this incident to contact the police. The people responsible for this shooting must be apprehended by the police urgently."

Car Plant Workers Lobby

Staff who lost their jobs after the closure of the Visteon car plant in Belfast will be attending a demonstration in London later as MPs meet with senior management from Ford. The group also plans to hand in a petition to Pensions Minister Iain Duncan Smyth. In April 2009, Visteon's plant in west Belfast closed with the loss of 200 jobs and the workers staged a month-long sit-in to secure improved redundancy terms. Now, union members from Northern Ireland will join with their colleagues from Enfield, Basildon and Swansea in a protest to protect their pensions as nearly 600 jobs were lost at Visteon's three plants in the UK as a whole, with staff being given less than an hour's notice. The US firm took over the former Ford plant in 2000.

Derry Bomb Condemned

The NI Justice Minister David Ford has condemned those responsible for leaving an explosive device in Londonderry. The PSNI has described the bomb at the courthouse as a 'substantial viable device'. The Alliance Leader, David Ford said: "It is clear that those responsible for this attempted bomb attack were intent on causing murder and destruction and I wholeheartedly condemn their actions. I am very thankful that no one was injured. It is particularly sad to note that it was some of the most vulnerable people in our society, children and the elderly, who were most disrupted by this incident," he said. David Ford concluded: "I would encourage anyone with information on this attempted bomb attack to bring it to the police."

Fraudster Pays Price

A Larne woman has been convicted at Antrim Crown Court for claiming benefits she was not entitled to. Sharon Irvine, 40, of Fanad Walk, Larne claimed Income Support and Housing Benefit totalling £53,223 while failing to declare she was living with her partner. She was given two and a half years imprisonment suspended for three years. Miss Irvine is also required to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Social Security Agency.

Altnagelvin Radiotherapy Unit Backed

The outgoing Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has welcomed his fellow top Executive MLA, Peter Robinson's committment to overturning Michael McGimpseys' decision to cancel the radiography unit for Altnagelvin. "I welcome the fact that Peter Robinson has joined me in stating his determination to see this decision reversed and have the radiotherapy unit delivered. Michael McGimpsey does not have the support of other Executive Ministers. I would urge the leaders of the other parties in the Assembly to also state their intention to have this decision overturned," he said, noting that the Ulster Unionist's outgoing Health Minister "needs to realise that this decision not only was the wrong one but has portrayed him as incompetent and isolated on this issue". See: Robinson Supports Derry Cancer Unit Plan

(BMcC/GK)