Other News In Brief

Sinn Féin Criticises Racist Attack

Sinn Féin has condemned those behind a racist attack that occurred in North Belfast earlier this week.

Members of the Sudanese community living in the area came under attack, and Councillor JJ Magee has described the incident as "disgraceful".

Councillor Magee said: "These attacks on the homes of members of the Sudanese community can only be described as disgraceful. They must be condemned outright.

"There can be no place whatsoever in our society for racism. I would appeal to anyone who saw anything suspicious to report it immediately to the PSNI.

"Racists who carry out such despicable actions in an attempt to instill fear into families living here need to be taken off our streets."

Concerns Raised Over Bogus Callers

Patsy McGlone, SDLP MLA for Mid Ulster, has issued a warning for elderly and vulnerable people to ensure they can identify any unexpected callers to their homes.

The warning comes after three men, said to be wearing high-vis jackets and purporting to be from NIE, attempted to gain access to a house in the Brocagh area of Coalisland.

Mr McGlone commented: "I would urge everyone to be wary of bogus callers following a spate of incidents which have occurred recently. In the latest incident three men wearing high-visibility jackets attempted to gain access to a house in the Brocagh area of Coalisland. The callers claimed to be from NIE and told the householder that they wanted to talk to her about supposed forthcoming work to remove poles on her road.

"The home owner was suspicious of the callers and contacted NIE seeking to verify their identity. It is a cause for concern that NIE were unable to confirm whether they were genuine or not. Despite contacting NIE again the following day, it was not until the next week that someone from NIE rang to inform her that the callers were not from NIE and were, indeed, bogus callers.

"Fortunately, she had not let these men into her home on this occasion. But neither had it been reported to the PSNI at the time, as she wasn't sure whether the men were genuine employees or not."

Mr McGlone added that he has since contacted NIE to express his concern over the delay to respond to the woman's enquiry.

Thousands Of Inefficient Boilers Replaced

More than 14,500 inefficient boilers have been replaced in homes in Northern Ireland since September 2012, it has been revealed.

The Boiler Replacement Scheme is expected to come to an end on 31 March 2015, and Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland, has encouraged those who think they are eligible for the scheme to register before the end of December.

The scheme offers owner occupiers a grant of up to £1,000 to replace inefficient boilers. It is available to those who earn less than £40,000 a year, with an inefficient boiler of at least 15 years, and is dependent on total gross income.

Minister McCausland said: "The Boiler Replacement Scheme has been a considerable success with over 14,500 old inefficient boilers being replaced to date.

"Replacing an old inefficient boiler with a new condensing boiler can in an average three bedroom semi-detached house, see potential savings of between £300 to £350 per year.

"In these difficult financial times, savings such as this can make a real difference to the lives of those who the scheme is targeted at."

(JP/CD)