Other News In Brief

Woman Convicted Of Benefit Fraud

A woman has been convicted for claiming £29,119 in benefits she was not entitled to at Belfast Crown Court.

Michelle Rosbotham claimed Income Support and Housing Benefit totalling £29,119 while failing to declare she was living with her partner. She was given 80 hours' community service.

The fraud was uncovered following an investigation by the Department for Communities.

She is also required to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Department.

Work Begins To Restore Cottages In South Belfast

Construction work has started to restore Rosetta Cottages in south Belfast.

Clanmil Housing Group's new Hearth Heritage Division has begun restoration work on the cottages which were built in the early 1800s.

The project will see the restoration of six of the grade 2B listed cottages, which have been vacant for the past 20 years, to create two family homes.

The cottages were acquired by Hearth Housing Association in 2012.

Siobhan Brown, Development Manager at Clanmil's Hearth Heritage Division said: "We are delighted that this project has started. The cottages are a well-known landmark on a busy arterial route into the city and people are very keen to see them refurbished and brought back into use as family homes.

"The restoration will take just under a year to complete and we will be retaining the cottages' original character on the outside. Inside, while the cottages will be renovated to suit modern family life, as many original features as possible will be restored such as architraves, skirtings and sash windows."

UUP Condemns Racial Abuse Of Cancer Patient

Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie has condemned those who racially abused a cancer patient leaving the Craigavon Area Hospital.

He said: "It is outrageous that a young woman was racially abused while leaving Craigavon Area Hospital after attending an appointment. She is currently battling cancer so she is going through enough trauma and distress without neanderthals throwing abuse at her.

"This type of behaviour is intolerable. There can simply be no excuse or explanation for it. Our health service would simply not be able to operate without the contribution of foreign doctors and nurses and I would like to reassure them that they are welcome and that they are greatly appreciated for what they do.

"The United Kingdom is a Christian country and as such we have Christian values of benevolence, compassion and tolerance. Those who verbally and racially abused this woman have no comprehension of these Christian values. It is senseless bigotry and I urge anyone who may have witnessed the events to go straight to the police and report the incident."

(CD)