11 April 2012

Other News In Brief

Police Investigate Armed Robbery

An armed man has threatened staff with a knife during a robbery in east Belfast. The man entered the commercial premises on the Beersbridge Road at around 12.30pm on Tuesday.

After threatening the employees, he made off with cash and cigarettes towards the Castlereagh Road. The robber, who is believed to be in his late 20s, was wearing a grey hooded top, blue tracksuit bottoms with a grey stripe on the outside of each leg and blue Nike trainers with a blue Nike emblem.

Altnagelvin's Elderly Ward Closed To New Admissions

The elderly ward in Londonderry's Altnagelvin Hospital has been closed to new admissions. The move is due to a diarrhoea and vomiting bug affecting patients. The Western Health and Social Care Trust has appealed for the co-operation of the public to control the spread of the bug. It has urged people not to visit patients at Altnagelvin if they have been feeling unwell themselves. The trust said the situation would be kept under review with a view to reopening the ward to admissions as soon as possible.

Stormont To Host First Orange Event

The Stormont estate will host the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland’s Covenant centenary parade later this summer. It is believed to be the first time in living memory that the estate will have hosted a formal Orange event. The parade, which commemorate the covenant which opposed Home Rule in Ireland, will involve a march from Belfast city centre to a rally at Stormont. The centenary committee plan to have the speaker’s platform next to Sir Edward Carson’s statue in front of parliament buildings, home of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(LB/GK)