Green Light For Magee Teaching Block

Approval has been given for the development of a new teaching block at the University of Ulster's Magee campus.

The £11m project will deliver modern teaching accommodation to facilitate a collaborative teaching approach at Magee and ensure all available teaching space is used efficiently. It will also help to meet the demand of increasing student numbers in recent years.

The new teaching block will increase the capacity of the campus for an additional 1,000 students, and will include a 340-seat lecture theatre. Construction work is due to begin later this year and take around two years to complete.

The news has been welcomed by Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry. He said: "It is vital that we have modern facilities in our higher education institutions to provide the best quality environment for teaching and research, and to ensure that in turn we are supporting our economy. This development is a strong signal of the importance of the Magee Campus to the economy in the North-West."

Two Arrests Following Drugs Seizure

Detectives from Organised Crime Branch, investigating an international drugs trafficking operation, have seized £200,000 of cannabis plants in Newry.

Two men, in Newry and Belfast, have been arrested.

The factory was discovered in Mallaghbawn, outside Newry, on Wednesday night,police have said. Cash was also seized from the scene and a 32-year-old man was arrested. A 53-year-old man was also arrested in south Belfast; while a 40-year-old man arrested on Wednesday in Belfast remains in custody.

Over the last week, detectives have seized £1m worth of cannabis in Northern Ireland and made seven arrests. This is in addition to £1.2m worth of skunk cannabis seized by police in recent months. The investigation, in partnership with the National Crime Agency and Italian Carabinieri police, has also led to arrests and drugs seizures in Italy.

Renewed Appeal Into Constable's Murder

Police have renewed their appeal for information into the murder of Constable Ronan Kerr.

Constable Kerr, 25, was killed on Saturday 2 April 2011 after a bomb exploded under his car as he left his apartment in Highfield Close, Omagh, at 3.45pm. He was going to work in Enniskillen when the incident happened.

A number of lines of inquiry are ongoing, while fresh ones are also developing, but in a statement, Detective Chief Inspector Una Jennings, who is leading the investigation, said the key to success in apprehending Mr Kerr's murderers, lay with local people.

She said: "Since the investigation into Constable Kerr’s murder and a series of linked incidents began, the inquiry has generated a substantial amount of investigative activity: 8,203 items have been seized; 15,539 individuals have featured in the investigation; 12,754 investigative actions have been generated; 122 searches of houses, vehicles and land have been conducted; 18 arrests have been made and one person has been jailed for offences linked to the overall investigation.

"Although a significant amount of progress has been made, the key to putting people before a court charged with Ronan's murder lies with local communities in Omagh and east Tyrone. From the early days of the investigation, we said this was going to be a long-term inquiry with Ronan's murder at its core but incorporating several linked incidents including attempts to murder other police officers, a bomb attack, arms finds and armed robberies. It has proved to be an extremely large investigation but one which still has the potential to be concluded by charging suspects."

She added that while progress has been made, there are "considerable challenges remaining in this lengthy and complicated investigation".

Anyone with information is asked to contact police in Serious Crime Branch on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

(JP/MH)