Arson Reported, Ballycastle

An arson attack has been reported at residential premises in the Whitehall Avenue area of Ballycastle, County Antrim, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Shortly after 02:40, it was reported that a flammable liquid was poured through the letterbox of a house in the area. Extensive damage was caused to the front door of the property and smoke damage to the interior of the house. No one was in the property during the incident. Police said they are treating the incident as a hate crime.

Business Man FIned For Polluting Waterway

A County Down business man has pleaded guilty and been fined £6,000 at Newtownards Magistrates' Court for making polluting discharges to a waterway.

Mr Robert Martin Hamilton, Ballyrainey Road, Comber, County Down, was charged following an investigation on 21 August 2013 when Water Quality Inspectors inspected the Enler River at its confluence with the Ballystockart River and observed that the Enler was cloudy and grey in colour.

Inspectors traced the pollution to premises owned by Robert Martin Hamilton. A discharge of vegetable processing waste water was observed flowing across a field and into the adjacent waterway.

Then in 11 December 2013 a Water Quality Inspector observed a brown discharge from an unnamed tributary entering the Enler River. It was traced upstream for approximately 1km to premises owned by Mr Hamilton.

On 10 March 2014 a Water Quality Inspector again observed that the Enler River at its confluence with the Ballystockart River was grossly polluted. The source of the pollution was again traced to premises owned by Mr Hamilton.

Woman Convicted Of Benefit Fraud

A woman has been convicted at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court for claiming benefits she was not entitled to.

59-year-old Marnelle Kenny of Ladysmith Terrace, Ballymena claimed Jobseekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Housing Benefit totalling £16,815 while failing to declare employment. She was given a three year conditional discharge and ordered to pay court costs of £52.

She is also required to repay the outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Social Security Age

Men Charged Over Donegal Robbery

Three men have been charged in relation to the hijacking of a Royal Mail van in L'Derry that led to a post office robbery in Donegal.

Gardaí were alerted by PSNI that a Royal Mail van had been hijacked by three males in Foyle at about 09:50. The men then drove in the direction of County Donegal.

A robbery then occurred in nearby Manorcunningham at about 10:15 when three males entered the post office armed with a knife, a hammer and a sledge hammer.

The men threatened staff and caused damage in the post office before making off with a sum of money in the direction of Newtowncunningham.

The van was stopped by Gardaí and the three men in their 20s and 30s were arrested.

They are due to appear at Letterkenny District Court today.

(IT/CD)