Strongman Caged

A 15-year sentence has been handed down to a Co Fermanagh man for raping and abusing three young girls. David Parkinson, 66, from Brookeborough, was found guilty in February of three rapes and nine indecent assaults. Judge Piers Grant banned the strongman, known as 'Big Dave', from associating with children and put him on the Sex Offenders' Register.

Dodds Backs SMEs

Small businesses in Northern Ireland will benefit from the introduction of a Small Business Rate Relief scheme unveiled by Finance Minister Nigel Dodds this week. He said the scheme will significantly reduce the rates burden for about 16,000 of our smaller and medium sized businesses (SMEs). The Department of Finance and Personnel is now consulting on the effectiveness of the preferred scheme and its likely impact.

Engineering Lay-Offs Revealed

Some 95 workers are to be made redundant at an engineering firm in Co Antrim. The pay-offs are just the latest at FG Wilson and will include three sites - Larne (47), Springvale (31) and Monkstown (17). The firm said the cutbacks were necessary to "manage production levels with current demand". In January, the company said it was making 250 people redundant and a month earlier it laid off more than 180 agency workers.

Orange Hall HQ 'Bombed'

This week's petrol bomb attack on a major Orange hall in Belfast has been condemned. Petrol bombs were thrown at the hall on Clifton Street near Carlisle Circus on Tuesday night. Four devices were hurled at the building while about 50 Orangemen attended a meeting inside and although no one was injured and damage was superficial, an Orange Order spokesman said: "Only last week we removed the protective cage from around the hall as a step of faith. However, it has only taken a week for people to attack our hall and risk people's lives. This is very clearly an attempt to create tension in the community." DUP MP Nigel Dodds condemned the incident and said: "I am utterly disgusted at the unprovoked, sectarian attack on the Belfast Orange Hall."

Sir Reg Praises 'Helping Hand' Into Work

NI Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, has praised the innovative work carried by projects supported by the European Social Fund to help people back to work. The Minister was speaking as he visited Limavady's North West 'Lifelong Learning Association' to meet staff involved in the delivery of the 'Skills 4 Service' Project, which is funded by the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme. It is one of 74 Psuch initiatives funded under Priority 1 of the Northern Ireland ESF Programme 2007-13, which aims to help people into sustainable employment prospects and address the needs of those disadvantaged in the labour market.

(BMcC/JM)