05/02/2014 BBC Newsline

Good evening. A West Belfast family have been the

victims of a so-called tiger kidnapping. They were held hostage

for several hours this morning after an armed man tricked his way into

their home. Helen Jones reports. A man December guys as a postman

forced his way into a farm home. He produced a gun and got one of the

family to go the workplace to get money, while holding the other two

hostage. The couple were held until an

undisclosed sum of cash was handed over to another member of the gang

at a street off the Falls Road. That was round 9.30 this morning. The

alarm was raised, all three members of the family were safe but was one

examined in hospital I think tiger kidnapping is the most horrendous of

crimes. It instils fear in family, with the person who has to leave his

family home or her home to go to the place of work to withdraw money and

bring it over to the kidnapper, they are unaware of what is happening to

their family so they are put under a massive amount of pressure. I think

it is wrong, unjust and anybody who has information must come forward to

ensure that due process prevails and people are brought before the

courts. Police are appealing for information about a man who was seen

getting out of a silver car in the street. He handed over a hold all to

another man who then walked in the direction of Ivy Street. The police

say this is the first in over a year.

A man's been in court in Craigavon charged with the murder of the

prison officer, David Black. Mr Black, who was a 52-year-old father

of two, was shot dead in 2012 as he drove to work at Maghaberry Prison.

Gordon Adair was in the court. Shaun McVey arriving at Craigavon court

this morn, a short time later he was charged with the murder of Prison

Officer David Black, Mr Black died after gunmen pulled alongside his

car on the M1, and opened fire. Hitting the officer several types.

Shaun McVey was arrested here at his home in Lurgan on Monday.

This morning in the dock he nodded twice, the first time to confirm his

name, the second time to confirm that he understood the charge, his

solicitor said the case against him was based on his purchase of three

item, a hat, govs and matches. He outlined the explanation his client

had for having the items and asked the prosecution to review the charge

of murder. However, a detective told the court the investigation was very

much still live, and said it could be three months before a file is

with the PPS. Shaun McVey was remanded in custody.

As he was led away, a large group of supporters applauded and shouted

encouragement. He will appear good afternoon later this month.

The police say they're getting tough on the UVF and other criminal gangs

in East Belfast. Officers raided a house in the area last night in an

operation aimed at tackling organised crime. Our Home Affairs

correspondent Vincent Kearney accompanied them. Go, go. A police

raid in East Belfast last night. The man the officers were looking for

wasn't there. This is part of what the police call

operation moor, it has been running for four months and is aimed

attackling drug dealing and other criminal activity by members of the

UV F and other groups in East Belfast. No arrests were made and no

illegal substances or items were found.

Politicians in the area have been calling for more visible police,

after claims the PSNI was failing to tackle the UV F They have been

encouraged. It was important they took the opportunity to show they

were prepared to stand with our community against criminals. People

in the community have welcomed an increased visible police operation

in East Belfast. It is clear people continue to live in fear as well.

In addition to drug, police are targeting those involved in

extortion, blackmail, selling smuggled cigarette, and running

illegal gaming machines. Since early oblt October there have been

searches of more than 70 houses and business premise n the past two

years there have been round 50 arrest and more than 40 people have

been charged or reported to the Public Prosecution Service. The

majority have UV F links. The police insist this operation isn't just for

the optic, but what they call co-ordinated attrition. To disrupt

the activities of those involved in organise crime. The number of

convictions in the months ahead will be the ultimate test of its success.

The United Nations has accused the Vatican of adopting policies which

allowed priests to sexually abuse thousands of children. The UN's

watchdog for children's rights said the Roman Catholic Church must

immediately remove all clergy known or suspected to be child abusers. It

also urged the Pope to launch an investigation into the abuse of

girls and young women at Catholic-run workhouses in Ireland.

It is not taking the necessary measures to protect and ensure

justice for girl, who have arbitrarily placed by their

families, state institutions and churches, in the Magdalen laundries

of Ireland, run by for congregations of Catholic sisters.

A chain of clothing retailers has closed with the loss of around 150

jobs. The Gino NV shops closed last week

when a liquidator was appointed to the partnership operating the

business. The chain has more than a dozen shops. Many of the jobs are

part-time. The supermarket chain Tesco is

expanding its network of smaller shops here, taking on the likes of

Centra and Spar. It's a response to changing consumer habits, but it

means big challenges for local retailers. Our Economics and

Business Editor John Campbell reports. So what is it like when

Tesco opens up next door? We had a Tesco Express open approximately

nine months ago. Ten months ago. Two doors down from us. The first two

weeks of that opening was like shock and awe, we were in intensive care

for two weeks. Roy runs a Centra shop in South

Belfast. There are hundreds of shopkeepers like him, operating

these kinds of convenience stores in every town across Northern Ireland.

The big supermarkets have long provided some form of competition,

but now things are getting even more intense.

The way we shop is changing. Increasingly people are doing one

big shop online and topping up at the local convenience store. The big

supermarket chains are responding to this. Across the UK, they are

opening more and more of these smaller convenience stores.

In Northern Ireland, that process has only just begun. The vast

majority of shops are operated by local retailers, under the Centra,

Mace, Spar and Vivo brands, by contrast, Sainsbury's has no small

stores here, and the number of Tesco Express is just 16. 36 but that will

soon increase, with three more due to open in Belfast.

One will be on the site of this former pub. Right next to an

existing Co-op. So is Tesco targeting existing

businesses? The The company says no, it has brought much-needed jobs and

the location is chosen solely on where it thinks they would be

the location is chosen solely on Meanwhile, the Centra as managed to

claw back about half the trade it lost when Tesco opened. With some

customers finding the new arrival wasn't as cheap as they hoped. Other

retailers can expect a similar challenge soon.

Now hire is the weather. Good evening. The weather is a lot

quieter, a lot less stormy tonight. Fairly light winds, dry in many

places at the moment but during the early hours showers will move in

from the west, so by morning it will be damp again in many place, but no

frost or fog. And it will be a brighter day tomorrow, still some

showers round, so certainly not rain free, and most of the showers will

come through the morning during the rush hour when some will be lively,

moving through on a brisk westerly wind. But it will become drier in

many places as the day goes on and it is a up many drier day in the

Republic of Ireland. Drier for many pars of Britain. Some sharp showers

for the west of Scotland but more rain will be moving in to the south

and South Wales, an amber warning has been issued by the Met Office,

that means be prepared for further flooding, that is valid for the next

three days so further flooding to come across southern Britain.

So not too bad tomorrow for us, some sunshine, one or two shower,

especially in the west and temperatures fairly respectable at

seven or eight. A noise day on Friday, although it will be chilly,

with frost and ice to begin with, but most places will have sunshine.

It is a pause, really before the rain comes back again, the next area

of low pressure moving across us, which will bring more wet and windy

wetter. We don't have any warnings in force at the moment but it is

likely that early warnings will be issued before the weekend. So enjoy

the drier, brighter weather over the next couple of days, before it turns

wet again this weekend. That is it for now from BBC

Newsline. Good night. Last year, True North brought you

the personal stories Turns out it was a wee, small,

piddly petrol bomb.