Other NI News In Brief

Alliance Policing Minister?

While NI First Minister Peter Robinson (pictured) has accused Sinn Féin of "blocking the transaction of Executive business", Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly insists his party was working to resolve issues. Now a possible resolution to the appointment of a policing supremo has emerged, and although Ulster Unionists and the SDLP are far from keen on being effectively by-passed, no one has ruled out the possibility of a future NI Justice Minister being elected by a cross-community vote in the Assembly. Gerry Kelly said the idea of a cross-community appointment, possibly from the Alliance party, was one of the ideas put up for discussion.

Irish Biker Killed On Antrim Coast

A tour of the north coast by bike has led to tragedy with a 39-year-old man from the Republic fatally injured in a road crash on the north Antrim coast. Seamus Boyce from Letterkenny, Co Donegal was riding a motorbike that was in collision with a 4x4 vehicle on the White Park Road in Ballycastle, near Ballintoy. The crash happened shortly before 3.20pm on Saturday afternoon. The victim was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, but later died. The three occupants of the other vehicle were not injured in the accident.

Limavady Man Dies In Bike Crash

A motorcyclist who died in a four-vehicle crash in Scotland on Friday has been named as Paul Bellingham from Limavady, Co Londonderry. The 40-year-old was killed in the collision on the A71 near Hurlford in Ayrshire.

Sex Assaults Reported

After last week's Belfast city centre rape, further cases have come to light with a teenage girl subjected to a serious sexual assault in a public park in Londonderry's Waterside - at about 10.30pm on Saturday - and a teenage girl sexually assaulted in Newtownabbey on the outskirts of Belfast. The girl was attacked at a property on the Whitewell Road at about 11.15pm on Saturday. One man has been arrested.

See: Belfast Sex Attack Slammed

County Tyrone Stabbing

A Co Tyrone attack has left one man in a critical condition in hospital after being stabbed in Dungannon. The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday morning and the victim sustained stab wounds to his neck and torso after being attacked with a broken bottle in the Scotch Street area of the town at around 1am. Police have said that one man was arrested.

Travel Agents Robbed

A gunman and an accomplice with a hammer have robbed a travel agency in south Belfast. The two men threatened staff at the shop on the Saintfield Road and forced them to hand over several thousand pounds worth of currency. A police spokesman said the incident took place at about 10.45am on Saturday.

Tanked-Up

The rising cost of heating oil has prompted a new level of thefts with an entire oil tanker lorry being stolen. It was taken while making a delivery in west Belfast, near Hawthorn Street at about 10am on Saturday when a man, thought to be in his 20s, got into the yellow vehicle and drove off. Police said that a car parked in the street was badly damaged as the thief made off. However, the thief later fled from the lorry, which was found abandoned, with its load still on board, in the Ballymurphy area a short time later.

(BMcC)