Cash Van Hit

The police have appealed for help in their investigation into an armed robbery in Belfast city centre yesterday. A man grabbed a cash box from a cash-in-transit van parked at Royal Avenue - near the junction with North Street at about 3pm on Thursday. It is believed the robber, who may have had a gun, ran off toward Castle Court shopping centre.

Violent Crime Rises

PSNI boss, Sir Hugh Orde has told the NI Policing Board that while the overall crime figures for NI in the past nine months had fallen, with a 1% drop in the total number, there had been a 17.5% jump in serious violent crime. He said yesterday: "Serious violent crime is up by four crimes a week across a population of 1.75 million and a territory of 5,500 square miles. It's so small an increase, it's very hard to identify what it is down to." He noted there were 212 more cases of serious violent crime in the last nine months compared to the same period last year. The category includes murder, manslaughter and firearms and explosives offences.

Mandelson Welcomed

An MLA and member of Stormont's Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee, has welcomed the visit to Northern Ireland by Lord Mandelson, the British Government Business Secretary today, (Friday). Robin Newton said that Lord Mandelson's meeting with local politicians - including the First and Deputy First Ministers - and business representatives to discuss the current economic challenges and update on the Government's plans to work through the situation are a positive move. He said, those charged with this responsibility are most effective when they listen directly who are suffering the most from the downturn. "I was particularly pleased to hear that Lord Mandelson stressed now is a time for all the constituent parts of the United Kingdom to pull together, stressing that our unity is our strength," the East Belfast representative said.

Renovations Underway At Down Homes

Six homes in Greyabbey and Kircubbin, Co Down, are to be upgraded by the NI Housing Executive, as part of a £280,000 investment plan. Work on one house at Islandview Gardens, Greyabbey, has already been completed. Tenant Lisa Graham recently moved into her newly-refurbished house in the village. She said: "I had been allocated a tenancy but major improvements needed to be carried out before I could move in. The Housing Executive provided me with a temporary home nearby while the work was being done, and I am very pleased to now be living in my new home.

(BMcC/JM)