A private bus company that wants to introduce a new direct service between Belfast and Londonderry says they will be complementing Translink’s existing service rather than competing with it.

Hannon Coach – based in Aghalee in Co Antrim – have submitted plans to link Northern Ireland’s two largest cities with an express service as well as provide buses for people trying to get home from concerts and events at night.

Translink currently runs a Goldline Service which makes seven stops between Belfast and Londonderry. The journey takes one hour and 50 minutes. The same train journey takes an extra 25 minutes.

Hannon Coach marketing manager Owen McLaughlin said his company would not be able to match Translink’s money-saving options for weekly or monthly travel, but they were aiming to provide competitive fares for people who want to make leisure trips in the shortest time possible – 10 minutes less than the Goldline bus service.

He confirmed Hannon Coach – founded in February by Hannon Transport – submitted a proposal last week to the Department of Infrastructure to run a non-stop service between Belfast and Londonderry.

If approved Hannon’s buses would use Translink’s Europa Bus Centre in Belfast and Foyle Street Station in Londonderry.

Mr McLaughlin said: “We’re trying to stimulate demand so it needs to be convenient. Part of being convenient is the integration of networks. That’s what the department is set up for and that’s why you’ve got transport strategy.

“We’re not competing directly with Translink. It’s a complementary service.”

He added: “We’d also be seeking to serve key venues on week nights and weekends so you can come down from Derry to Belfast or vice versa, get dropped off for a concert and get picked up again without having to leave early to get public transport.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Infrastructure confirmed that former minister Chris Hazzard’s promise to introduce an hourly train service between Belfast and Londonderry would go ahead as planned this summer.

Mr McLaughlin commented: “What we would quite like to do is team up with Translink and offer an innovative ticket that would allow you to take the scenic route up to Derry on the train, then get one of our coaches straight back.”

Shoppers at the Tesco store in Lurgan were evacuated from the premises following what is thought to have been a gas leak from one of the freezers on Saturday afternoon.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene shortly after 4.30pm.

Customers in the store were told to abandon their shopping trolleys and leave the premises as the incident was dealt with.

One shopper described the scene; “The whole store was evacuated, I just heard the voice over the tannoy saying could all customers please leave their trolleys and exit the store.”

She went on: “I could hear hissing and squealing and a fog formed, one of the freezers had sprung a leak. Staff were outside giving out ice lollies and then the fire brigade arrived.”

“There was no panic or anything, I think people were just more bewildered.”

The shopper who spoke to us didn’t return for her shopping and said: “I’m sure the staff had some time getting the stuff from abandoned trollies back on the shelves.”

A Tesco spokesman said: “The safety of our customers and colleagues is paramount.

“We had a maintenance issue with a freezer unit on Saturday afternoon.

“We are grateful to the Fire brigade who helped us undertake a full investigation.”

It understood the store was evacuated as a precaution and customers were not at risk from the leak.

The NI Fire and Rescue Service Time said they had received a call at 4.30pm on Saturday to Tesco, Millennium Way, Lurgan.

Two appliance attended from Lurgan Fire Station,one from Portadown Fire Station and one from Knock Fire Station.

They added: “Firefighters along with an engineer isolated the main valve of a refrigeration unit. Gas readings were carried out by Firefighters.

“The scene was handed over to the onsite manager. The store was evacuated by Tesco staff.

“The Incident was dealt with at 7.48pm.”

A health authority has been denied legal costs against care home owners who dropped their High Court challenge to a ban on new admissions.

Lawyers for the Southern Health and Social Care Trust claimed an order should be made against Norman and Mildred Wylie because their planned litigation had been “hopeless”.

But a judge in Belfast declined to take the exceptional step of awarding costs without any determination on the merits of the couple’s abandoned case.

The Wylies run two Co Armagh homes: Bawn Cottage in Hamiltonsbawn and Hebron House in Markethill.

They commenced legal action against a ban on new admissions imposed by the trust in 2013.

The prohibition was brought in amid allegations of the financial abuse of six vulnerable people.

Mr and Mrs Wylie deny any wrongdoing or irregularities, insisting their professional reputation is being ruined.

A police investigation resulted in a decision not to prosecute.

Proceedings were lodged by the couple in a bid to have the trust’s decision declared unlawful.

But earlier this year they dropped the planned application for leave to seek a judicial review.

Counsel for the health authority returned to the High Court to ask for costs of the case.

Following submissions, however, Mr Justice Colton decided against making such an order.

Mike Nesbitt has broken his silence to say that “play-acting” led to him being photographed face down on a Belfast hotel floor last month.

The bizarre picture of the Ulster Unionist general election candidate for Strangford and former party leader appeared on the front page of the The Sun newspaper last week.

Initially Mr Nesbitt declined to offer an explanation for the image – showing a woman grabbing him by the back of his collar – but has now said it was all “a bit of fun” with members of a wedding party at the Stormont Hotel.

The woman involved was identified in Sunday newspapers as Falls Road pensioner Marie Hyland.

Mrs Hyland said she had been engaged in “horseplay” with the high-profile politician and that “it was all a joke”.

The 73-year-old great-grandmother told the Sunday Life: “It was a misunderstanding.”

She said: “I was at a wedding in the hotel and Mike Nesbitt was there. He had been out playing golf with friends. There was a bit of banter and he lay down on the floor.”

Mr Nesbitt is quoted as saying: “I wish to clarify that my engagement with the wedding party was only a bit of fun, and has been blown totally out of context by the publication of the photograph in The Sun newspaper.”

A secret peacemaker who brought the British government and the IRA together to end the Northern Ireland conflict should have received the Nobel Prize, his funeral service was told.

Brendan Duddy, 80, worked tirelessly for 20 years and took risks to create trust and the conditions for dialogue, mourners were told. The businessman was a back channel contact between republicans and the state throughout the worst of the Troubles.

The clandestine connections - at a time when British public opinion would not tolerate talking to terrorists - led to the IRA’s 1994 ceasefire and the Good Friday peace agreement four years later.

Veteran broadcaster Peter Taylor paid tribute at Mr Duddy’s Funeral Mass in St Eugene’s Cathedral in Londonderry.

He said: “Brendan’s contribution is incalculable.

“John Hume (SDLP founder) and David Trimble (ex-Ulster Unionist leader) deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, but Brendan Duddy deserved it too.

“We owe him a great debt.”

After the Bloody Sunday shooting dead of civil rights protesters by soldiers in 1972 in his native city, Mr Duddy met an MI6 officer called Michael Oatley and became the secret channel between the British government and the IRA that would last until the 1990s.

He was the key link between then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher and the IRA during the 1981 hunger strikes.

In the early 1990s, he held talks at his own home in Derry between Mr Oatley, the intelligence services, and late Sinn Fein leader Martin McGuinness and the republican leadership.

Fr Chris Ferguson said: “Brendan’s role was to help people see the opportunity that existed for peace.”

The chief mourners were Mr Duddy’s wife Margo, children Patricia, Lawrence, Paula, Brendan, Shauna and Tonya and wider family.

Mr Hume, former Foyle MP Mark Durkan and a representative of Irish president Michael D Higgins attended.

His former running team, the City of Derry Spartans, formed a guard of honour as he was brought from the church.

Fr Ferguson said Mr Duddy was able to help diverse groups identify how peace might evolve.

“Brendan worked hard at creating trust, ensuring that there would be no disclosures that could have harmed the building of relationships.

“He firmly believed there was a willingness on all sides to negotiate.”

At the beginning of tentative talks, people could be asked to stoke the fire or some other job as an ice-breaker.

The priest added: “This informal, low-key diplomacy seemed to be Brendan’s forte - he was able to build trust.

“Brendan had a great ability to think outside the box which was so necessary in the infancy of the political discussions in which he was involved.

“Always maintaining the long view, Brendan never gave up hope, regardless of many setbacks.”

He said: “Brendan in his position as a facilitator found himself bearing witness to the secret fears and anxieties of all sides, containing this tension became a life-long vocation with the aid of all those who were involved in the secret talks, with those who managed to keep the back channels open.”

The priest said he had an intuitive ability to understand people.

“Being a husband and father Brendan had a vested interest in seeing an end to the conflict through real and meaningful negotiations.”

The brother and uncle of murdered Ballymena schoolboy Michael McIlveen have appeared in court following an alleged incident in which one of those convicted of the 2006 killing was chased through Antrim town on Saturday night and, in fear of his life, locked himself into staff toilets in a KFC restaurant.

Andrew James Sean Smyth (18), an apprentice butcher, of Glendun Drive, Ballymena and Sean Joseph Patrick McIlveen (44), a construction worker, of Devenagh Way, Ballymena, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday following an alleged incident involving Aaron Wallace (29).

Both accused are charged with assaulting Wallace and also assaulting his father Thomas Wallace who came to the scene.

Smyth is also charged with having an offensive weapon - a large hunting knife - at Fountain Hill in Antrim and McIlveen is charged with having the large hunting knife with intent to commit an indictable offence, namely threats to kill.

McIlveen is further charged with making a threat to kill Aaron Wallace and resisting a police officer.

Both accused appeared side by side in the dock as relatives including Michael McIlveen’s mother Gina, looked on from the public gallery.

Smyth was wearing a grey tracksuit and McIlveen was wearing an Antrim GAA tracksuit.

Michael McIlveen (15), a Catholic who lived at Dunvale in Ballymena, was killed in a sectarian attack after being chased by a gang and struck with a baseball bat in an alleyway in Ballymena town centre. The teenager, known as ‘Mickey Bo’, later died from brain injuries.

In court on Monday, a police officer believed she could connect both accused to the charges regarding the weekend incident. A prosecutor said bail was objected to.

The police officer said Sean McIlveen is the uncle and Smyth the brother of Michael McIlveen who was murdered in 2006.

The alleged victim in the case before the court, Aaron Wallace, was one of the people convicted following the schoolboy’s death and as part of a prison release programme he resides in Antrim at weekends.

The officer said at around 7.30pm on Saturday police received several calls from members of the public in Rathkyle that a male was being chased by other males and at least one knife appeared to be involved.

The male hid in the KFC at Fountain Hill and when police arrived both the accused were in the carpark along with other members of the McIlveen family and they were “highly agitated”.

Smyth alleged shouted: “That b-stard in there, he murdered my brother”.

Police established Wallace locked himself into a staff toilet and told police he was walking along when a female shouted “murdering b-stard” before he was chased by two males for half a mile and one said: “I’m going to cut your throat”.

He had been distressed and frightened and vomited into the toilet and was “in fear of his life”.

The officer said one man tried to jump over the KFC counter to get Wallace but was prevented from doing so by a staff member.

The officer said a witness said Smyth had a knife and that a “large hunting style knife” was found in a nearby grass area.

The police officer said Wallace’s father Thomas Wallace was told his son was in trouble and when he went to the KFC he was subjected to abuse and said McIlveen punched him on the chin and Smyth kicked him on the leg and threats to kill were made.

It was alleged McIlveen said: “Get him out here, we are going to kill him”.

The police officer said they believed the accused armed themselves and travelled from Ballymena to Antrim to carry out an attack on Wallace “in retaliation” for the murder of Michael McIlveen.

She said the PSNI feared they may try to seek out other people convicted in connection with the killing and said the eleventh anniversary of the murder has just passed.

She said those convicted have either being released or are in the process of being released and the officer said police believed the two accused would have caused serious harm to Wallace if they had caught him.

The officer said “suspicious” vehicles were in the area earlier that day and added police believe “possibly three carloads” of people were present because they were aware Wallace was in the area.

She added threats were allegedly made to Wallace’s dad and step-mother that they would see Aaron Wallace “dead”.

Defence barrister Ben Thompson said both accused totally deny the charges.

He said: “The murder of Michael McIlveen was one of the most notorious of the last decades”.

He said Smyth had a clear record and although McIlveen had a record it was from a number of years ago.

Granting bail, District Judge Liam McNally said it was a “difficult application and a difficult decision to make”.

The judge said the case was linked to the “unfortunate murder” of Michael McIlveen and told the accused the police case is that they had “tried to exact revenge for that killing by taking the law into your own hands”.

He said he accepted that eleven years on emotions were still “raw” and the judge believed there was a likelihood of further offending but said in the circumstances he believed that risk could be monitored with conditions.

Both accused were released on their own bail of £1,000 with £2,000 sureties and they have to report to police three times a week.

They are banned from entering Antrim town and are to have no contact with Aaron or Thomas Wallace.

The judge told the accused they were “very fortunate” to be getting bail as it was a “fine line” and he warned them they will be remanded in custody if they breach any conditions.

The case was adjourned to Coleraine Magistrates Court in June.

A Belfast judge has warned that those involved in the drugs trade must expect ever increasing lengthy prison sentences.

The warning came from Judge Patricia Smyth as she sentenced 41-year-old lorry driver, Paul James Hamill, to three years.

Hamill was caught tranporting cannabis in February last year shortly after getting off the Larne ferry. In addition to those drugs Hamill told police of a lock-up where they uncovered another haul of cannabis and ‘speed’.

The Crown Court judge said it was accepted that the drugs had a potential street value of between £600,000-£900,000, although Hamill, from Limefield Road, Moyraverty in Craigavon, was neither the owner nor beneficary of the drugs.

It appeared that Hamill, who has a young family, was specifically targeted because he was a lorry driver and “took the offer of easy money when offered the opportunity from those higher up the chain”.

Judge Smyth said while she accepted that Hamill was “deeply regretful and remorseful”, she told him that he had “played a role” in the drugs culture, in which “children and young adults, children like yours, are dying because of the drugs culture”.

She added that the lives of some victims were “blighted by ill health”, robbing them of meaningful lives, and that the courts, almost daily, saw the effect that culture has had on others.

However, Judge Smyth accepted that in Hamill’s case he was entitled to maximum credit for his guilty pleas and for alerting police to the lock-up of which they were unaware.

Jeremy Corbyn hijacked an appearance on Facebook by Theresa May to issue a direct challenge to the Prime Minister to take part in a TV debate with him.

But Mrs May dismissed his call, saying that it was more important for her to take questions directly from voters.

Mrs May became the first serving leader of a UK political party to take part in a Facebook Live broadcast, hosted by ITV News as part of the campaign for the June 8 general election, answering questions sent in by users of the social media website.

She discussed her experience of type one diabetes, revealing that she injects herself with insulin four or five times a day, and urged fellow sufferers not to allow the illness to hold them back from doing what they want in life.

And she discussed her taste in fashion, saying that her message to other women wondering what to wear in the workplace was: "Don't be afraid to be yourself."

Presenter Robert Peston then told her he had received a query from "Jeremy Corbyn of Islington", who said: "Hello Theresa May, as Prime Minister you've served your elite friends by giving them tax cuts when wages have stagnated, house-building is at its lowest since the 1920s, there are 20,000 fewer police on our streets since 2010 and the NHS is in crisis.

"Do you not think the British people deserve to see me and you debate live and on television?"

Mrs May responded: "What I think is more important is actually that I and he take questions directly from the voters. I don't think people get much out of seeing politicians having a go at each other, I think people want to hear directly."

ITV will on Thursday host a live televised election debate in Salford, and has said that an invitation to the leaders of the seven biggest parties will remain open until the broadcast starts.

But Mrs May has insisted she will not take part in any televised head-to-head clashes with her rivals, and Mr Corbyn has indicated he will not take part if the Prime Minister is absent.

The Civil Service is investigating a whistleblower’s allegations of a potential conflict of interest in an £80 million health project, it has confirmed.

The Fraud Investigation Services, a Civil Service-wide unit which examines serious allegations, is examining the claims which relate to two new £40 million health centres in Lisburn and Newry which were to be built using a form of public-private partnership.

The whistleblower came forward on December 20 – at the height of the RHI scandal, just five days after Jonathan Bell’s explosive television interview with Stephen Nolan.

The exact nature of the allegations, who they relate to or the seriousness with which they are being taken by investigators is not yet clear.

Details of the situation first emerged in InfraNews, a specialist business intelligence publication.

In a statement, the Department of Finance said: “In December 2016 whistleblower allegations were received by the Department of Finance’s Central Procurement Directorate.

“A team within the department are making inquiries into the allegations including that of a potential conflict of interest and the whistleblower has been made aware of this.”

However, the department went on to defend the process whereby the preferred bidder for the contracts had been selected.

It said: “The selection of the preferred bidder for each of the Lisburn and Newry projects was made on the basis of clear and transparent award criteria which were shared with all the bidders at the commencement of the procurement (this was a Competitive Dialogue Procurement process which followed the Contract Regulations relevant at the time of commencement of these competitions).”

In a statement, the Department of Health said: “The Department of Finance’s Central Procurement Directorate received a letter from a whistleblower containing allegations relating to the procurement of the Newry and Lisburn Primary Care centre projects on December 20 2016.

“The NICS Internal Audit and Fraud Investigation Services are currently investigating the allegations therein. The whistleblower has been informed of the investigation.

“The department does not comment on ongoing investigations.”

The initial decision to build the new health centres by involving the private sector was taken by the then DUP health minister Edwin Poots in 2013.

Mr Poots did so via what is known as ‘ministerial direction’ – a mechanism whereby ministers formally order their civil servants to pursue a certain course of action if the Civil Service has raised some objection.

Such directions are rare but have been issued multiple times over the decade of devolved government by ministers of all parties.

When asked what the Civil Service objection had been which had led to him using a ministerial direction, Mr Poots told the News Letter: “There wasn’t an objection per se.

“They just said it would be better if I did it because as accounting officer, using revenue funds for capital projects ... we were using revenue funds because we wanted to accelerate the TYC programme and ensure that we could move that on apace and we would actually make savings on the revenue side in due course.”

Mr Poots said that he “would have no idea how the preferred bidder was allocated, to be honest. That wasn’t something that I would have been directly involved in”.

And the former minister stressed that he had no link whatsoever to anyone who stood to gain financially from the decision.

The Lagan Valley MLA said: “I did what I did because I believed it was the right thing to do and that’s just it. I would have pushed things ahead and pushed things ahead quickly had I been allowed to on a whole lot of that stuff but obviously I left office and didn’t have the opportunity to finish the job. But I have absolute confidence in what I was doing and that I was doing the right thing.”

A free event to mark Armed Forces Day in Northern Ireland will take place next month in Co Down.

Bangor will host the prestigious regional showcase of all things military with a Spitfire display being one of the highlights.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to view a Jetlev flyer and specialised military vehicles up close, and watch as the army go head-to-head in a tug-of-war.

Ards and North Down Borough Council will host the national event – which is supported by Tourism Ireland – on Saturday, June 24.

It will give visitors an insight into the work of the armed services and also celebrate and honour those who serve.

The event starts at 10.50am with the official regional Armed Forces Day military parade through Bangor town centre, incorporating a special drumhead service and flag raising.

UTV presenter Paul Clarke will act as compere and will talk visitors through the programme which will include musical performances from the Band of the Royal Irish, Band of the Irish Guards and the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Dragoon Guards.

The event will close in style with a beating retreat in the McKee Clock Arena.

Northern Ireland Armed Forces Day will be celebrated on the same weekend as the local council’s popular maritime Sea Bangor Festival during which sister ships Lady Avenel and La Malouine will sit on Eisenhower Pier alongside a naval P2000.

Alderman Deborah Girvan, mayor of Ards and North Down, said: “It is fitting given the area’s close affinity with the Armed Forces and its rich military history through the likes of Colonel Paddy Blair Mayne and Major General Rollo Gillespie of Comber who fought in India.

“The event attracts thousands of visitors from across Northern Ireland and beyond every year and I am very much looking forward to welcoming day trippers and tourists to our borough.”

The senior military officer in Northern Ireland, Brigadier Andrew Roe of 38 (Irish) Brigade, said: “The armed services not only have a long history across Ards and North Down but today enjoy huge support for regulars, reservists, veterans and families with enormous engagement across the sea, army, air and combined cadets.

“We look at the support for reservists in Bangor for the combat engineers, in Newtownards for the artillery, in Holywood for the UK’s only reserves fuel supply regiment as well as the Royal Marines Reserve. Holywood is also home currently for 1 Scots who have not only undertaken arduous operational and training commitments around the world but also humanitarian intervention in the likes of Sierra Leone.”

For more information visit ardsandnorthdown.com.

A father of eight who was part of a three-man gang which carried out a spate of cross-border burglaries on the same day has been handed a 30-month sentence.

Newry Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, heard that during one of the break-ins at the Ghan Hotel in Carlingford, a couple had the door of their bedroom kicked in and were threatened by a man brandishing a golf club.

John Joseph Myles Connors – a member of the travelling community whose current address is HMP Magilligan – was part of the gang and admitted his involvement on the grounds of joint enterprise.

Over a 24-hour period on December 20, 2013, Connors and two other men targeted the Ghan Hotel in Carlingford, as well as a house in Newry and two properties in Keady.

All but one of the premises were occupied, and £5,000-worth of jewellery was stolen from one of the homes.

Connors, 35, will spend half of his sentence in prison, with the remaining 15 months on supervised licence upon his release.

The court heard the Ghan Hotel was the first place targeted in the spree. At around 12.35am, a husband and wife were woken from their sleep by their bedroom door being kicked in. One of the intruders had a golf club, and the incident resulted in an ambulance being called for the woman.

The three intruders were caught on CCTV leaving the hotel in a white Audi which was hijacked prior to the break-in. It was accepted Connors was not the man brandishing the golf club.

Around midday the gang targeted a house on Newry’s Carrickrovaddy Road. The daughter of the owner came out of her bedroom where she was confronted by three men. When she screamed for her father, the trio fled in the same white Audi.

Several hours later, the gang broke into a house on the Upper Darkley Road in Keady, during which a male occupant came out of the shower and was approached by intruders. On this occasion, they left empty-handed.

A second home on the Darkley Road was also broken into on the same day. This house was ransacked, jewellery was taken and the burglars left in a white Audi.

Connors – who came before the court with 96 previous convicions – was arrested in England in September 2015 after being on the run from the PSNI since the spate of break-ins in December 2013.

A man charged with attempting to murder a bouncer in a suspected loyalist feud attack has been refused bail.

Ian Sinclair, 37, was seeking release from custody over his alleged role in beating the victim with a fire extinguisher at the Royal Oak bar in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim.

But a judge denied his application due to the risk of further offences, the Courts Service confirmed.

The doorman suffered a blood clot to the brain, along with multiple skull and facial fractures in the alleged assault on March 11.

Detectives also revealed that he underwent physiotherapy for walking and talking skills, and may never return to his main job as a French polisher.

Sinclair, of Elizabeth Avenue in Carrickfergus, is one of three men from the town charged with his attempted murder.

He is charged along with his 50-year-old brother Brian, of O’Rorkes Row, and Glen McCullough, 52, from Castlemara Drive.

The trio are accused of launching an attack after being refused entry to the pub.

Police have linked the incident to ongoing tensions between rival factions in Carrickfergus.

High-profile loyalist George Gimore was murdered days after the alleged pub attack.

The 44-year-old had been in the public gallery when Sinclair and his co-accused made their first appearance at Laganside Courts in Belfast.

Ian Sinclair mounted a bid for bail after his brother secured release from custody on condition that he keeps out of Carrickfergus.

Refusing his application, however, the district judge also ruled that no suitable address had been offered.

An exciting new £1.3m visitor exhibition in Belfast City Hall was officially launched today before opening to the public on Tuesday (May 16).

The City Hall’s east wing on the ground floor has been completely revamped to house the tourist attraction.

It offers a journey from the city’s past to present, showing the vibrancy and diversity of City Hall across six themed zones: The City, Growth and Governance; The City at Work and Play; City Speech and City Streets; The City Commemorates; The Reflection Space and

The City Celebrates.

The exhibition stretches over 16 separate rooms, all presented within the original architecture of City Hall as designed by Alfred Brumwell Thomas in the late 1890s.

It was officially launched today by the Lord Mayor, Alderman Brian Kingston, who said: “Belfast City Hall is one of the most iconic visitor attractions in the city and while our tours have always proved popular, we wanted to add to the visitor experience, providing more information which will help them put our city, its traditions and culture into context.

“One of the most important aspects of this exhibition is that the narrative was agreed by all party leaders who have been open to examining every aspect of our past.

“After learning about our history, culture, tradition and politics the reflection space offers the opportunity to quietly review the traumatic events of Belfast’s most recent turbulent history and gradual move towards peace.

“Artefacts such as the table on which the Ulster Covenant against Home Rule for Ireland was signed, as well others previously stored in various nooks, crannies and safes now have pride of place in the exhibition,” said Alderman Kingston.

“Belfast is on the cusp of something exciting. The city is ready for investment and development that will create employment, prosperity and a bright future for all and members of the council are determined to work in partnership towards those goals – as well as ensuring we continue to provide the best possible services to our citizens.

“This exhibition makes an important contribution towards not only reminding us of how far we have come but also that Belfast was, and is, one of the world’s great cities, with a great history and even better future.”

It’s free for individuals (there’s a charge for commercial groups) and there’s a small cost for headphones to listen to an audio tour, available in a range of languages.

Opening hours: Monday - Wednesday, 9.30am - 5pm; Thursday, 9.30am - 8pm; Friday, 9.30am - 5pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am - 5pm.

Intelligence documents gathered after the 1976 Kingsmill massacre named at least 13 suspects in the atrocity, an inquest has heard.

One of those named was described by police as a "well-armed, known killer".

Details of the security documents were made public for the first time at the inquest into the IRA murder of 10 Protestant workmen.

Families of the murdered men gathered at Belfast Coroner's Court on Monday for the resumption of the inquest after almost a year.

It emerged that within days of the murders, the police were able to access descriptions and photographs of several of the suspects.

A PSNI crime operations branch witness, known only as J2, gave evidence to the hearing from behind a screen. He was there to assist the coroner with police-sensitive intelligence.

The documents detailed four of the main suspects behind the murders as being members of the Provisional IRA.

Two of the four were understood to be on the run, having escaped from custody.

A later intelligence document from January 1976 reported on an IRA plan to murder RUC officers and named two of the four men as having already carried out the Kingsmill murders earlier that month.

It stated the two men had crossed into Monaghan after the murders, later recrossing the border into the Crossmaglen and Cullyhanna areas of south Armagh.

The document said the two suspects were "well-armed".

Although the court heard a considerable amount of planning would have gone into the murders, the intelligence documents did not show any evidence of prior knowledge of the attack.

"Eleven firearms were known to have been used. It seems a considerable number of individuals must have been involved in carrying out the shootings," a lawyer for the Coroner's office said.

"Would you say that this must have involved a considerable degree of planning?" he asked J2.

The witness replied: "There would need to be a level of planning ... How long it would take them to get the logistics in place to carry out this attack I can't answer."

Referring to the intelligence documents, he added: "There (was) intelligence in the (police) system as to republican activities but no specifics to this incident."

According to the documents, a report was received a month after the murders that, prior to the massacre, a number of IRA men in South Armagh had discussed targets to attack in the area.

J2 said that would be an indication of planning in the Kingsmill murders.

The documents also showed conflicting evidence as to who was responsible for the attack.

There were intelligence reports the Provisional IRA was responsible while other reports claimed a splinter group called the South Armagh Republican Action Force had carried out the attack.

The hearing was told that cover names were sometimes used for the IRA.

The 10 workmen were shot dead on January 5, 1976 after the gunmen stopped their van and asked which among them was a Catholic, and instructed that man to leave the scene.

No-one has ever been held to account for the murders but in recent years the Historical Enquiries Team identified the killers as the Provisional IRA.

The inquest was halted in June 2016 after just a month, and after hearing evidence and statements from 53 witnesses.

The adjournment came after the PSNI arrested a man in connection with the murders.

That followed the discovery that a left palm print was recovered from a window of a vehicle used by the attackers. It is understood the print matched the man arrested in the Newry area.

Earlier this year, the Public Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute the man, saying the test for prosecution had not been met.

A fundraising target in support of a legal claim against former Hyde Park bomb suspect John Downey is now nearing its objective.

As previously reported, Mark Tipper – brother of one of the Hyde Park victims – had set up a webpage in early April aimed at gathering cash to pursue a civil compensation case against Mr Downey.

The idea is that any compensation would then be paid to a veterans’ charity.

An initial target of £25,000 was reached last month, and was then upped to £40,000.

And at time of writing on Monday night, the webpage was only around £1,500 short of this target.

It is understood the biggest single donation so far is £1,000.

It has previously been said that pursuing a case to its conclusion could cost up to to its conclusion is estimated at £640,000.

Attempts to claim legal aid to support the bid had been unsuccessful.

In a statement issued via law firm McCue & Partners, Mark Tipper, brother of trooper Simon Tipper (one of four soldiers killed due to the July 20, 1982, blast) said: “Reaching our first target of £40k will mean our legal team can get our case officially up and running.

“It means they can finish going through the piles of evidence they already have, deal with the red-tape to get the Met’s prosecution files, review those files and, finally, prepare and issue our full claim against Downey.

“There’s a lot of evidence to go through and a lot of work to be done to get this case off the ground but, with the public’s support, we know we can get there.”

Visit www.crowdjustice.com/case/hyde-park-justice

Although Mr Downey is believed to live in the Republic of Ireland, it is understood that this would not have a bearing on a civil case.

Stone quarried by Belfast Harbour based firm Conexpo is being used to surface Europe’s busiest roads.

The company has just won an export order to supply 55,000 tonnes to help reconstruct 26km of the road network near Limburg in southern Holland. The contract follows a 200,000 tonne order for the newly constructed A15 extension which serves the Port of Rotterdam and is Europe’s busiest motorway.

Conexpo sources one million tonnes of high quality gritstone annually from its Co Down quarries. The stone is processed and exported from its £5m quayside plant located on a seven -hectare site in Belfast Harbour Estate.

Opened in 2015 it’s the only facility in Europe which can simultaneously produce aggregates to UK and European standards. The stone is highly sought after for its ability to improve skid resistance and reduce road noise by up to six decibels.

“In partnership with Belfast Harbour we’ve been able to develop a bespoke shipping terminal and processing plant which provides some of the world’s highest quality stone,” said Conexpo MD Jonathan McCluskey.

“Co Down quarry gritstone is increasingly in high demand and has been used in road projects from Hong Kong to Rotterdam, not just for initial construction, but also long-term re-surfacing requirements. Our Belfast Harbour facility has the potential to produce 6,000 tonnes every day, crushing and screening precision-sized stone for the complex honeycomb structures used in modern road surfaces.”

Belfast Harbour commercial director Joe O’Neill said: “Stone exports by Conexpo are one of the most significant commodities handled at Belfast Harbour, representing our fastest growing commodity sector over the last five years.

“Belfast Harbour has worked with Conexpo since it was established 25-years ago, developing facilities to support its ambitious growth plans.

“Northern Ireland’s quarry sector provides significant economic and employment opportunities and the Harbour will continue to support Conexpo as it continues to develop new export markets.”

Established more than 25 years ago, Conexpo employs 45 people directly and supports a further 50 jobs, mainly in the haulage sector.

It operates two quarries in Co Down and also procures many thousands of tonnes of stone from neighbouring quarries.

World Champion Boxer Carl Frampton is backing supermarket Lidl in its search to find Northern Ireland’s most deserving community groups through its Community Works initiative.

Once again the firm is demonstrating its ongoing commitment to communities across the province and will this year be offering £6,000 in funding to local groups and large scale projects through each of its 38 stores.

Since the initial launch of Lidl Community Works, Lidl has donated funding and given practical help to over 700 community groups and charities across the country, including Portrush RNLI, Mourne Mountain Rescue, Carrick Chargers Special Olympic Basketball Club and the Doghouse Sanctuary in Banbridge.

“We have received incredible support in Northern Ireland since we opened our first store and this is our way of giving back,” said Conor Boyle, Regional Director at Lidl Northern Ireland.

“It gives us great pleasure to re-launch Lidl Community Works as we have clearly seen how our communities have flourished with the support we have been able to offer in the last few years.”

Lidl is calling for its customers to get behind the campaign and nominate worthy causes that could be in with a fighting chance; groups from every background and all projects with a strong purpose are encouraged to apply for funding.

Carl Frampton commented, “There are so many groups who are making a really positive impact in their community and Lidl is providing a fantastic opportunity to those who are willing to step forward and share their dreams, so please start nominating!

“I am so grateful for the support I have had from everyone at home throughout my career, I love to see communities looking out for each other so I’m thrilled to get behind a cause that encourages that.”

Customers across the province are being invited to nominate groups or projects in their local area that could benefit from Lidl’s support by downloading a nomination form from www.lidl-ni.co.uk or calling into a local Lidl Store to pick up a copy. The deadline for applications is June 25th 2017.

Customers in each store across Northern Ireland will then have the opportunity to decide from a shortlist of three which local community group or project should receive a £4,000 investment with the two runners up each receiving £1,000.

North Down based property investment and development firm Wirefox has extended its Scottish portfolio with the acquisition of a major Grade A office building in Edinburgh.

The Holywood firm has invested £18m in Silvan House, which includes almost 90,000 sq ft of prime office space currently let to the Scottish Government.

Located on the main arterial route connecting Edinburgh city centre with West Edinburgh, the five-storey Silvan House is a continuation of Wirefox’s expansion in Scotland.

It follows the acquisition last year of the Southergate Centre, a major retail-led asset in Dumfries town centre, and speculation of an office-based portfolio in Glasgow.

“The strategic acquisition of Silvan House represents a significant addition to Wirefox’s expanding portfolio across the UK, which includes residential, retail and office-led assets in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland,” said director of asset management Michael Wright.

“A fantastic property in a sought-after Edinburgh location with a strong tenant, the office investment was a fantastic opportunity that attracted significant interest from the market.

“Comprehensively refurbished in 2002 to provide open plan offices to Grade A specification, Silvan House has become a hub for Government departments.

Wirefox has been active in the office market recently, acquiring the five-storey building which is home to Bittles Bar in Belfast city centre and revealing plans for office development.

Last year the firm acquired two city centre office developments - Oxford and Gloucester House and Longbridge House.

Derek Paterson of DPL, acted in the purchase of Silvan House.

After a republican backlash over Arlene Foster’s description of Michelle O’Neill as “blonde” and “very attractive”, the DUP has dismissed Sinn Fein claims that their leader is sexist.

Mrs Foster made the comments – in which she praised her Sinn Fein rival’s appearance – during a ‘word association’ game as part of an interview published on Sunday.

In the lengthy interview with major Dublin-based newspaper The Sunday Independent, Mrs Foster spoke about the impact of as a child finding her father after the IRA shot him in the head.

The former first minister also discussed the impact on her teenage daughter of some of the crudest comments made about her on social media, some of which suggested she looked like a man.

At the end of the interview, Mrs Foster was asked to play a ‘word association’ game in which the respondent says the first word which comes into the head about a particular person or topic.

In response to Ms O’Neill’s name, Northern Ireland’s first female first minister apparently paused, then laughed and said: “I don’t want to be sexist and I am not going to be sexist because I can’t...”

At that point the interviewer said: “Ah, go on– it’s not sexist if it’s true.”

Mrs Foster responded: “Blonde!”

When asked to expand, she said: “Michelle is very attractive. She presents herself very well and she always is – you know – her appearance is always very ‘the same’.

“You never see her without her make-up. You never see her without her hair [looking] ‘perfect’.”

When asked then if appearance is important in politics, the DUP leader said: “Oh God, yeah. It is for sure. And, I mean, she always looks so well and always presents herself in a particular way, I… sometimes you have a bad hair day and obviously that’s the day that you are going to be photographed.”

Mrs Foster went on to say that she believed appearance was increasingly significant in politics: “I do think even for men now [it matters]. If you look at William Hague and what happened to him with the baseball cap, Trump and the tie and the hair, I think image has become [important] – it’s the age we live in.”

Sinn Fein immediately denounced what it characterised as “sexist and disparaging remarks” and “offensive remarks which do a disservice to women in politics and to equality and respect”.

In a statement today, the DUP said: “During a wide ranging interview Arlene Foster was asked about Michelle O’Neill. Nothing that was said was offensive or intended to be so and Sinn Fein have a cheek demanding an apology.

“Indeed they would be better served examining some of their own recent words and deeds and the impact they have had on people in Northern Ireland.”

Also today, DUP veteran Sammy Wilson told BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback programme that Mrs Foster had been correct because ”Michelle O’Neill is blonde, unless she’s dyed her hair since the last time I had the misfortune to see her on TV”.

Tonight Ms O’Neill issued a statement, apparently about the situation – although it was not referred to explicitly, in which she said that “there can be no place for sexism or any form of discrimination in public life”.

However, the statement did not state whether Ms O’Neill herself considered the remarks to be demeaning.

In the statement Ms O’Neill said: “There can be no room in our society for sexism, misogyny, racism, homophobia or any form of discrimination.

“There is no right or wrong way to look and women are in positions of leadership because we belong, representing everyone equally.”

Detectives are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of a 51 year-old woman and 55 year-old man at a house in the Abbey Road area of Lisnaskea.

It is understood police are not looking for anyone in relation to this incident at this stage.