Other News In Brief

General Election: Fake SDLP Letters Sent To Voters

A fake letter purporting to be from SDLP leader Colum Eastwood that has been circulating in L'Derry has been condemned.

Some voters received correspondence claiming to be from the Westminster candidate seeking financial assistance for his Westminster campaign.

Mr Eastwood condemned the letters and urged Sinn Fein to do the same.

He wrote on Twitter: "WARNING THIS IS A FAKE LETTER.

"I am disgusted that fake letters purporting to be from me have been delivered to houses in Derry. Let me be clear, these letters are not from me nor are they from anyone associated with my campaign. Will @sinnfeinireland condemn this?"

Mr Eastwood is contesting the Foyle seat currently held by Sinn Fein's Elisha McCallion in what is expected to be a close race.

Voters will cast their ballot this Thursday, 12 December.

NI Households Urged To Get 'Winter Ready'

A seasonal campaign has been launched to help households across Northern Ireland get winter ready.

The region's leading utility companies - NI Water, NIE Networks, Phoenix Natural Gas and Openreach - are lending a hand to help people prepare for the holiday season.

This campaign includes a 'cut out and keep' list of useful contact details should utility services be disrupted due to severe weather.

Sara Venning, Chair of the Joint Utilities Working Group, added: "By working together, we have combined winter advice and information on all our companies into one simple format for the public. Preparation really is key for winter weather and we encourage all householders to take the time to get winter ready.

"The Working Group is leading the way in terms of companies working together to share knowledge and resources, such as equipment and vehicles, to further improve the services we deliver to the whole community.

"We were delighted to welcome Carmel McConville from Consumer Council NI to the launch of our campaign, as the consumer is at the centre of everything we do."

Recycle Right This Christmas

With Christmas just around the corner, many households produce much more waste than usual. After the gifts are unwrapped and the food is eaten, most homes have excess cardboard, cans, bottles, cardboard, electricals and even real Christmas trees to recycle at your local recycling centre.

This festive season, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has provided a helpful list of hints and tips to make your visit to your local recycling centre quick, easy and stress free.

• Separate your waste at home – sorting recyclable and non-recyclable materials at home takes a little extra time but will make a huge difference when you arrive at the sites, saving you time

• Organise recyclables and waste in your vehicle so that when you visit the recycling centre you can place items in the correct containers. Disposal of recyclable items in waste skips is not acceptable

• Check the site Christmas opening arrangements before your journey – details can be found online

• Re-use – if you have bulky items such as furniture and bicycles these could be re-used – look out for the relevant containers on some of our sites!

• Talk to council staff – if you are unsure about what can and cannot be recycled please ask, staff will provide advice on which container to use

• After Christmas you can bring your real Christmas trees to our recycling centres where they'll be shredded and turned into chippings for compost.

A wide range of materials can be recycled at your recycling centre, including – cardboard, hard plastics, large appliances, paper, garden waste, engine oil, cooking oil, car batteries, clothes, glass, wood, scrap metal fluorescent tubes and computers.

Please note, it is an offence to leave waste outside Recycling Centres if they are closed – CCTV will be monitored.