Further Appeal Made After Belfast City Centre Murder

Police investigating the murder of 31 year old Christopher Mackin in College Square North, Belfast, on the evening of Thursday 1 March are asking for information from the public in relation to a car that may have been involved. A silver Renault Clio, registration number ELZ 7444, was seen in the Divis Street and College Square North areas around 9.20pm, the time of the murder. The car was later found burnt out in Wyndham Street, off the Cliftonville Road in North Belfast. It is though the Renault Clio has been in the Belfast area for the last few weeks and sightings have been reported at a car park at Candahar Lodge on the Ormeau Road.

Anyone who has information on this car and its movements or the murder of Christopher Mackin is urged to contact detectives in North Queen Street on 028 9056 1812 or alternatively contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and speak to them anonymously.

Armed Robbery In Derry

Detectives in Derry are appealing for information following an armed robbery on a commercial premises in the Spencer Road area of the city on the evening of Saturday 3 March. At approximately 11.15pm, a man entered the premises armed with what has been described as a hammer or pickaxe type weapon. He demanded money, jumped over the counter and took a sum of cash from the till. He made off in the direction of the Craigavon bridge. No-one was injured in the incident. The man was wearing a navy jacket, grey hooded top, a black baseball cap, black scarf, blue jeans and white trainers.

Showcases For Top Tourism Execs

The titanic potential of 2012 for the tourism industry in every corner of Belfast is to be showcased at a series of special meetings through the year. Some of the biggest hitters in the local industry are coming together for the latest quarterly meeting of the high-powered Belfast Tourism Forum, which is being held at An Culturlann in west Belfast on Friday 9 March.

The forum is a joint public and private sector body set up by Belfast City Council to oversee the implementation of the Belfast Integrated Strategic Tourism Framework, which aims to grow visitor numbers to the city by 40 per cent, to 2.38 million, and increase the city`s income from tourism to £294 million by 2014. It brings together more than 40 of Northern Ireland`s most influential tourism professionals, from organisations such as the council, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau to senior representatives from the hospitality industry, transport, education and other tourism related sectors.

(GK)