Other News In Brief

Man Fined £50,000 For Damaging Historic Lisburn Monument

A 64-year-old man has been fined £50,000 for damaging a protected historical monument in Lisburn.

On Friday, 16th April 2021, police were made aware of building works taking place in the Moneybroom Road area of Lisburn, where protected monuments were situated.

Reviewing the building site, officers discovered that the landowner had levelled land without receiving any prior consent, destroying lime kiln structures that had been in position for many years.

Henry Price was sentenced for damaging the historic monument, on Wednesday, 10th January, at Craigavon Magistrates' Court.

Detective Inspector Bell, Police Service of Northern Ireland lead for Heritage and Cultural Crime said: "This case demonstrates the close working relationship between police and the Historic Environment Division in the Department for Communities, in an effort to protect our heritage and investigate any reports of criminality."

Brian McKervey, acting director of the Historic Environment Division (HED) at Department for Communities, said: "We welcome the court's recognition that our heritage is an important and finite resource and an appreciation that once gone, these sites are impossible to replace.

"Not only did Moneybroom lime kilns, which date back to the 1800s, provide a unique example of a time when our society was undergoing massive change, they were a reminder of many aspects of our shared heritage, including the industrialisation of our landscape and society.

"HED appreciates the pressures that scheduled monument owners can face and one of our primary aims is to support them and facilitate their needs, where possible.

"However, the Department will also work with criminal justice partners to pursue prosecutions where warranted, in particular when historic monuments have been damaged or destroyed".

A spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said: "An investigation into the unauthorised works and complete destruction of lime kilns at Moneybroom resulted in a file being submitted to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS). The PPS carefully considered all the available evidence submitted in the investigation file and took a decision to prosecute one individual.

"The PPS will continue to work closely with the Department of Communities Historic Environment Division (HED) and other criminal justice partners, including the Police Service of Northern Ireland, to prosecute the alleged damaging of an historic monument, where the Test for Prosecution is met."

If you or anyone you know is aware of monuments being disturbed to carry out works, where consent has not been agreed, you are encouraged to contact police on the non-emergency number 101, or submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org/.

For more information on Scheduled Monuments go to www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/scheduled-historic-monuments.

DoJ Seeks New Independent Members To NI Policing Board

The Department of Justice has launched a recruitment competition to appoint three independent members to the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

The new members will be appointed from 1 April 2024 for terms of up to four years.

The Northern Ireland Policing Board, which includes ten political members and nine independent members, is responsible for ensuring the provision of an effective, efficient, impartial and accountable police service in Northern Ireland, and for holding the Chief Constable to account for the exercise of his functions and those of the police.

Board members are required to commit a minimum of four days per month to Policing Board business and perform a representative role on behalf of the Board at a variety of events. Remuneration is £15k per annum.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 12:00 noon on Thursday, 25 January 2024.

You can find out more information about the role in this interview with Chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Deirdre Toner www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfbPydDIaWU and at www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

Baby Formula Reduction Must Be Passed On To Consumers – SDLP

Any reduction in the cost of baby formula for retailers must be passed on to consumers, SDLP Economy Spokesperson Sinéad McLaughlin MLA has said.

Manufacturer Danone has announced that they will reduce prices on the majority of its Aptamil range by 7%. Ms McLaughlin has contacted major supermarkets in the North asking them to implement the change.

Foyle MLA Ms McLaughlin said: "No household has escaped pressure from the rise of inflation in recent years. However, any family that has welcomed a new baby will also know the huge strain on budgets that has been created by the stark increase in the cost of baby formula.

"Formula is incredibly important for a baby’s health and many families simply can’t do without it. We have a duty to ensure that the costs for products like this are not prohibitive. Reports that shops had noticed an increase in formula being stolen shows just how deep this problem runs and how desperate some parents have felt over the need to provide for their child.

"I welcome this move by Danone to reduce the price of formula, but acknowledge that the product will still be a significant cost for many families. It’s imperative that this reduction is immediately passed on by retailers to consumers to make formula more affordable.

"Following Danone’s announcement, I have contacted our major supermarkets to ask them to implement the reduction as soon as possible. I would also encourage them to join calls for the government to review Healthy Start vouchers to support families who have welcomed new babies. I appreciate that some retailers have already committed to an immediate reduction and others must follow suit so that this essential product is made more affordable for families across the North."