Holiday Flight Terror Reported

A plane carrying NI holidaymakers from Turkey was forced to turn over on its side in mid-air, sparking panic among passengers. One of those on board - who was travelling home to Co Tyrone - told BBC NI today that he was on route from a holiday on Monday afternoon when the incident happened. He said that people on board the plane were screaming in fear. When the plane levelled out again the captain announced "that he was very sorry for what had happened but he had to take urgent evasive action to avoid a collision'.

PSNI 'Didn't Text Killers'

Newspaper claims that members of the PSNI contacted loyalists in a Coleraine pub by text message to tell them Irish flags were being erected in the area where Kevin McDaid was murdered have been refuted. There is "no evidence" to back such claims, said NI Secretary Shaun Woodward yesterday. He said Chief Constable Hugh Orde had investigated press reports that officers had used mobile phones to tip off loyalists and said Sir Hugh had found nothing to support the claims they goaded a mob into undertaking the fatal attack. See: Latest Arrests In McDaid Case

Appeal On Drowned Teen

A PSNI detective has appealed for information about the last movements of a Co Down teenager found drowned last month. Jamie Moreland, 15, from Newtownards, was found in the Connswater River a few days after he went missing on 16 May. Acting Detective Chief inspector Gary Reid said it was "out of character" for Jamie to go missing: "We are trying to piece together his movements to find out exactly why this happened," he said, noting that the teenager had travelled to east Belfast on 16 May with a friend and went to a party at McMaster Street. He went to the Inverleith area around about midnight but left that location up to half an hour later and was not seen alive again.

PMS Will Get Aid

The Westminster government will help the thousands of people who lost savings when the Presbyterian Mutual Society (PMS) collapsed, the NI secretary has said. Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster yesterday, Shaun Woodward said he would "break the bureaucracy" of devolution to assist the 9,500 people who had lost money. The government has faced numerous appeals to underwrite the deposits of those who got caught up in the society's collapse last November. "If we can find a way to help these people, we should," he said. See: Presbyterian Assembly Twice Picketed Over Church 'Betrayal'

Two Held After Stolen Car Rams Police

Two men were in custody yesterday after a stolen car hit a police vehicle. The incident, in the early hours of Wednesday, saw a Vauxhall car, understood to have been stolen from a house in the Lower Ormeau Road area of Belfast being located by police at around 4.20am in Essex Street. It hit a police car at that location and two occupants made off. However, a short time later a man in his late teens and another in his early 20s were arrested.

Paisley Gets Chair

A DUP MLA has claimed £950 from official expenses for a single office chair. Stormont Assembly records have shown that the expenses claim - by Ian Paisley Jnr - is one of various details of expenditure by MLAs published this week by the Belfast Telegraph. They also include a £540 projector, payments to political parties and £318 for a camera plus printer. Like the continuing revelations by the London-based Daily Telegraph on Westminster MPs expenses, the NI-based Belfast Telegraph is expected to continue its 'Freedom of Information' requests on local politicians. Assembly members can currently each claim some £72,500 a year on office running costs, such as that by Sinn Féin Minister Michelle Gildernew. She paid £14,000 in secretarial and research costs to her party in one year.

Three Fraudsters Convicted

Three people were convicted at Belfast Magistrates' Court this week for claiming benefits they were not entitled to. Gerardette Johnston, 25, of Westrock Gardens, Belfast was given a £200 fine and ordered to pay £44 court costs for duplicate encashment of Income Support totalling £273. Evelyn McIlwaine, 52, of Devenish Drive, Newtownabbey was given a £200 fine and ordered to pay £68 court costs for failure to declare employment while claiming Income Supprt and Housing Benefit totalling £5,340. Sean Donnelly, 28, of Colinview Street, Belfast was given a £200 fine and ordered to pay £86 court costs for failure to declare employment while claiming Jobseekers Allowance of £151. Ms Johnston and Mrs McIlwaine are required to repay the money wrongfully obtained to the Social Security Agency. Mr Donnelly has repaid the money he wrongfully obtained. This brings to 193 the total number of successful prosecutions this year.

(BMcC)