Stab Victim Named

The man killed in the village of Tempo in Fermanagh early yesterday morning was Ciaran Woods from Drumhaw, Lisnaskea. It is understood three men were in the house with the woman who lives there when an altercation took place shortly after 4am and the 36-year-old victim was then stabbed to death and the woman stabbed in the abdomen. A short time later a 35-year-old man was arrested in a car on Tattymoyle Road.

Chase Trio Held

Three men have been arrested following a police chase in County Down in the early hours of Wednesday. Just after midnight a car failed to stop for police at the Castlevennon Road near Banbridge. It sped off and was pursued by a police car. Officers stopped the car about an hour later in Loughinisland and three men in their 20s were arrested.

'Failed' ATM Cash Refunded

More than 43,000 bank customers in the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland are being refunded after failing to take their cash from Bank of Ireland automated teller machines (ATMs). It has emerged that about 14,000 customers will receive €1.3m in refunds, while €1.7m will be returned to 29,000 customers of other banks who used the bank's ATMs. The average refund is €93 including 728 transactions in Northern Ireland totalling £34,721. When users complete a transaction and walk away from an ATM machine, leaving their cash and/or card behind, the machine pulls the money or card back in after a certain period of time. The bank said about six people per ATM machine/per year walk away leaving their cash and/or card.

Asda 'Sash' Man Back At Work

A supermarket worker who was dismissed for a "throwaway remark" involving the loyalist song, The Sash has been re-instated. William Hunter, who was employed at the store's Shore Road branch in Belfast, was sacked last Friday over his alleged comments, but his dismissal led to several days of protests outside the store. Now, Asda said Mr Hunter was re-instated on Tuesday following an independent appeal in front of senior Asda representative. In a statement the supermarket said William Hunter had expressed regret for the unintentional offence caused by the words he used when speaking to customers at the store. Asda said it has a "rigorous" and "independent" process that gives every member of staff, the right of appeal, heard by someone independent of the original circumstances.

Weeding Out Danger

NI's Roads Service has 'declared a war' against a dangerous weed which can cause burns and even blindness to humans. As well as posing a danger to humans, the plant can grow up to 20 metres, wreaking havoc in the ecosystem. Giant Hogweed is not native to Northern Ireland but crops up sporadically both here and in the Irish Republic. It originally came from Asia but was introduced to Europe in the 1800s as an ornamental plant. Now, contractors acting for the Department for Regional Development have begun spraying the weed after it was found growing on a cycle path in east Belfast.

Quarry Operators Praise Planning Service

The Stormonmt Environment Minister Edwin Poots has welcomed the quarry industry's praise of Planning Service's performance in processing applications swiftly. Regional Director of Quarry Products Association Northern Ireland (QPANI), Gordon Best, commented that an increasing number of its members’ planning applications were being processed in a matter of months and commended the work of the Planning Service in its efforts to speed up the planning process. Minister Poots said: "It is heartening to hear such positive words coming from the industry at a time when Planning Service has invested such energy into making its existing processes more efficient. Planning Service has been listening to the needs of the industry and introducing new processes, such as pre-applications discussions."

(BMcC/GK)