Other News In Brief

Man Convicted Of Benefit Fraud

A man has been convicted for claiming over £13,000 in benefits he was not entitled to at Coleraine Magistrates' Court.

Leonard Lyons claimed Job Seeker's Allowance and Housing Benefit totalling £13,525 while failing to declare employment. He was given a one-month prison sentence to run concurrently with his existing sentence currently being served at Magilligan Prison. The fraud was uncovered following an investigation by the Department for Communities.

He is also required to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Department.

£115,000 Playpark Opens In Clabby

A new £115,000 playpark has opened in Clabby, Fermanagh, with state of the art facilities for children of all ages.

The playpark, located in the village centre, is also suitable for wheelchair users.

Chairman of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Stephen McCann, was joined by members of the local community and fellow councillors to officially open the new playpark.

Councillor McCann said: "The Council recognises the importance of providing well-equipped, safe, attractive and accessible play areas for the development of our children. Playparks provide an opportunity for children to get active while having fun and the Council was pleased to work in partnership with the local community to develop a new playpark for the village and to create more opportunities for our young people to be physically active.

"I would like to thank all those involved in bringing this project to life and hope that the playpark becomes a real hub for the local community to meet, get active and have fun."

The project was funded by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council with an added contribution from RES Wind Farm Company.

SF Calls For Meeting Over Loyalist Flags In Housing Estates

Sinn Féin South Belfast MLA, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, has requested an urgent meeting of statutory agencies to respond to ongoing attempts by loyalists to use flags and banners to intimidate and harass Catholic and nationalists residents of the constituency.

He was speaking out after the erection of loyalist banners in shared housing schemes in South Belfast and the erection of UVF flags in Ravenhill Avenue.

He said: "It's no coincidence that loyalists are targeting the shared housing schemes at Cantrell and Global. Theirs is the politics of division and subtraction. However, they cannot be allowed to defeat the vast majority of the people of Belfast who believe in the politics of addition and multiplication.

"Last year, the UVF in East Belfast forced several Catholic families to flee their homes at Cantrell. Shared housing and shared communities are a threat to the sectarian gangs who wish to divide our community. Everyone needs to stand with those at the receiving end of this intimidation.

"It's crucial therefore that Radius Housing and the PSNI do more to counter the activities of these gangs."

(CD/LM)