Cumbria Mourns

An outdoor service was held in Cumbria to commemorate the victims of gunman Derrick Bird at the weekend. Twelve people were killed during the taxi driver's rampage across west Cumbria on Wednesday and up to 1,000 people attended an evening service in the grounds of St Nicholas' Church in Whitehaven. Earlier, about 500 people had also gathered in heavy rain for hymns, prayers and one minute's silence near the beach in the village of Seascale.

Man U 'Beaten'

A BBC TV programme is about to claim that Manchester United's owners are £1.1bn in debt - £400m more than previously known - after borrowing extensively against their shopping mall business. Panorama has found evidence that the Glazer family's debt levels may threaten their hold on the club. A spokesman for the American family has said it holds more than £2bn in assets. But the extent of the debt owed by the Glazers is likely to fuel a continuing revolt by some supporters, who oppose their ownership of the club. The programme Man United - Into the Red, is on BBC One, on Tuesday, 8 June at 10.35pm.

RUC GC Honoured

Northern Ireland's new Justice Minister David Ford has honoured the extraordinary service of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC on RUC GC Memorial Day. The Minister attended the 8th annual RUC GC Memorial Day service, which was held in St Mark's Parish Church in Armagh. "I am pleased to attend this service as the first local Justice Minister in 38 years. Although the peace process has progressed significantly it is important that we do not forget the sacrifices made by members of the RUC and the policing family," he said, yesterday.

Shop Worker Shot

The PSNI have made an arrest after a woman was shot in the stomach during an armed robbery attempt in the border city of Newry Co Down. At about 11.35pm Sunday, a man armed with a handgun entered a gaming arcade at Upper Water Street and demanded cash from a woman working in the shop before shooting her in the stomach. The man fled empty-handed. The woman was taken to hospital with injuries which are serious but not life-threatening.

Firm Fined For Asbestos

A Teesside engineering firm where two workers were potentially exposed to asbestos fibres was yesterday fined a total of £3,000 for failing to protect their employees. The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted Darchem Engineering Ltd, which is registered in Aberdeen. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 10(1) and 4(3) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 at Teesside Magistrates Court. The court heard how on 13 November 2008, two maintenance workers were relocating a junction box in the Aerospace reception area at the company's site in Ironmasters Way, Stillington, Stockton on Tees. This required them to drill into asbestos insulation board without taking appropriate precautions. Darchem Engineering Ltd failed to adequately manage the risks from asbestos on the site and as a result the two workers were potentially exposed to asbestos fibres.

(BMcC/GK)