Man Threatened With Hatchet During Robbery

The PSNI have issued an appeal for information after a man, aged in his 60s, was threatened with a hatchet during a robbery.

At about 1am on Sunday 03 April, two men, one of whom was armed with a hatchet, entered the victims house in the Shankill Terrace area. The elderly man was threatened by the men who demanded money.

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact police.

SDLP: Rising Energy Costs Pushing People To The Brink

SDLP West Belfast Assembly election candidate Paul Doherty has said the rising cost of energy bills is going to push struggling families to the brink.

Mr Doherty was speaking after price rises by Electric Ireland and Firmus Energy in recent days.

He said immediate action was needed to help families dealing with the current costs emergency.

Mr Doherty said: "It's just blow after blow for families who are struggling to get by at the minute. These latest price hikes are the last thing our communities need with many people already struggling to heat their homes, put food on the table and fuel in their cars. Bills just seem to be going up and up and people have no idea where it's all going to end.

"In every other part of these islands governments are stepping up to support people. Emergency payments have been made and schemes put in place, but our communities are being failed as a result of parties' failure to put their own interests to one side and deliver for local people.

"The SDLP has been trying everything within our power to get support to people who badly need it. We brought forward emergency legislation at Stormont to try and unlock the £300m doing nothing to help people through this crisis, but our efforts were inexplicably blocked by Speaker Alex Maskey. Our party Leader Colum Eastwood is continuing to work at Westminster to identify exactly what can be done to help people here."

Fire In Silo At Dunmurray Industrial Estate

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) remains at the scene of a fire at an industrial estate in Belfast.

Emergency services responded to reports of a fire in a silo in Dunmurray Industrial Estate at about 11:40 this monring.

Six fire appliances and some 50 firefighters are at the scene dealing with the incident.

Residents in surrounding areas have been urged to keep their windows and doors closed and avoid the area.