Newry Bypass Blasting Resumes

Rock blasting on the A1 Newry bypass near Cloghogue can now resume, the Health and Safety Executive has said. Blasting was suspended last week after rock fragments were cast outside an exclusion zone at the site, landing near homes and hitting a car. The Executive said extra safety measures had been agreed with the company carrying out the work, including nets to hold back debris. Blasting had been called off temporarily after shrapnel was found near people's homes. Sinn Féin MLA Pat McGinn said yesterday that a council official's car was damaged last week due to the blasting and said there was "deep concern and anger amongst local residents who lived in the area close to the rock blasting." This led to Roads Service withdrawing permission for blasting operations until the required remedial action was agreed and implemented and both the Department and the Relevant Authorities were satisfied that it was safe to continue.

ATM Delivery Hit

A cash-in-transit van security guard has been robbed at gunpoint outside commercial premises on the Mallusk Road in Newtownabbey. The guard was approached by a man armed with a handgun who ordered him to hand over a cash box shortly before 7.30pm on Wednesday. Although the robber made off with the box, which contained a substantial sum of money, it was found on fire at nearby Hydepark Lane a short time later. It is not known if the cash was recovered.

Graham Wins £8m Derry Bridge Project

Well-known construction firm Graham has been awarded an £8.7m contract to design and construct a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the River Foyle in Co Londonderry. The new bridge is part of a programme of regeneration for the area and will connect the historic city centre on the west bank of the Foyle with a proposed mixed-use development on the site of the disused Ebrington Army Barracks on the east bank. The launch of the Peace Bridge project has been lauded by local MP Martin McGuinness and Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie, who unveiled the winning design for the new Foot and Cycle Bridge over the River Foyle.

Child Suffers Broken Arm In Dog Attack

Police have appealed for help after a seven-year-old boy was treated in hospital after being attacked by a dog. The victime suffered a broken arm in the attack which happened on Tuesday night in Coleraine around 8pm. A police spokesperson said a dog had been seized and they want to hear from anyone who saw the attack which happened at Somerset Drive in the town.

Fears Over Construction Lay-Offs

A Fermanagh MLA has warned continued lay-offs by architectural and construction design firms could deprive the province of the skills necessary to kick-start the construction industry when the current slump has passed. Ulster Unionist Tom Elliott passed on his sympathies to those currently left unemployed: "I am concerned that if they are forced to find employment elsewhere then they could find it difficult to return to their previous roles as regulations and industry standards continuously evolve, risking the chance of being left behind and resulting in their talents being lost when the economy turns around," he said. Mr Elliott described it as "regrettable" that projects such as the new NI Police College have gone to overseas firms and commented: "I would encourage all government departments and Northern Ireland businesses to start planning for the future now and support their local design firms, a small investment now can prepare the way to take full advantage of better days to come, and secure some jobs in the sector."

Dublin Ministers' Travel Budget Goes Sky High

New figures have revealed that Irish government ministers have spent more than €1.6m using the Republic's Air Corps helicopters and aircraft since last October's Budget. Figures released yesterday to RTÉ under the State's Freedom of Information Act show that 25 of the 83 journeys taken were to and from destinations on the island. The Government's several fixed wing planes, including a Lear Jet, and two helicopters were used extensively by Irish ministers, costing from €7,890 an hour for the jet to €1,590 for the smaller of the helicopters. Some 70 of the trips were taken using the official jet and three other fixed-wing aircraft, the other 13 were in Irish Air Corps helicopters.

(BMcC/KMcA)