Hotel Blaze Man 'Missing'

A staff member is unaccounted for after a listed Victorian hotel in Harrogate caught fire, police said. All 132 guests at the Majestic Hotel in Ripon Road were evacuated, along with 25 staff members, after the fire broke out just before 5am on Wednesday. Officers said the missing man finished work on Tuesday afternoon and was due to have a day off on Wednesday, however it is not known where he currently is. The fire has been described by police as "potentially suspicious".

Pipe Bombing Is Latest Attack

Just hours after a blast at the home of a serving PSNI officer's father in Co Down, the area around a police station in Co Armagh has been cordoned off following an overnight explosion. A small device exploded close to Lurgan PSNI station shortly after 11.30pm on Tuesday night. It came a day after the bomb attack on the family of a Newry police officer added a new dimension to terrorist intimidation, by way of this 'indirect targeting' of family members where the front window of the house was blown in and minor damage caused to a wall at 10.35pm, but there were no injuries. Meanwhile, in Lurgan, there are no reports of any injuries in the attack. Police said the only damage was to a property opposite the police station perimeter.

Royal Honour For Norwich

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh have officially opened a multi-million pound extension to Norwich Cathedral. The extension cost more than £12m and was built with the help of a £2.3m National Lottery grant. The new Hostry Visitor Centre houses an education display and lecture area, refectory and library. Church officials said it was the largest construction project since Norwich Cathedral was built more than 900 years ago.

Cyclist Death Man Sentenced

A driver who killed a cyclist after losing control of his car has escaped a jail sentence. Father-of-one Brian Taylor, 29, suffered fatal injuries after being hit while he cycled to work in the early hours of the morning. At an earlier hearing Stephen McKay, 35, from Dunfermline, pleaded guilty to causing his death by careless driving. At Dunfermline Sheriff Court, he was sentenced to 240 hours community service and a 12 months driving ban.

Two Held Over Death

Police are continuing to question two men in connection with the murder of 22-year-old Ffion Wyn Roberts in Porthmadog, Gwynedd. BBC Wales understands that the two men under arrest are her father Idris and her younger brother Elgan. Forensic officers spent all day on Tuesday examining Ms Roberts's home address and a family vehicle. The care worker's body was found in a stretch of water known as Y Cyt on 10 April.

(BMcC/GK)