20/12/2016 BBC Newsline

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You're watching BBC Newsline and these are the headlines

Struck down by the norovirus - a hotel and hospital wards

This is the highest incidence of this disease we have experienced for

many years. Jailed for 11 years -

the man caught at a massive We hear from the Prime Minister

on the sensitivities around We speak to the former motorcycle

racer paralysed after a motorcycle accident who says he is determined

to be able to walk again. A tasteful festive appeal from

the men tasked with one mucky job. Make our wish come true, all we want

for Christmas is clean sewers. And not a lot of Christmas

cheer in the weather. A storm warning for one

of the busiest travel A senior medic in Londonderry says

an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug is the worst he's experienced

in almost 30 years. Norovirus has caused

the closure of five wards People have been urged to only visit

the hospital if it's The virus has also forced a large

hotel in County Cavan Our Health Correspondent

Marie-Louise Connolly reports. It couldn't have come at a worse

time for this popular During what must be their busiest

time, the hotel says it had no In a statement to the BBC,

and on behalf of the hotel, the Health Executive

in the Republic said that... The Health and Safety Executive

and hotel management said they deeply regret the inconvenience

the closure would cause, but consider this action

as necessary to safeguard public Norovirus, which causes

diarrhoea and vomiting, is one of the most common stomach

bugs in the UK and is unusually prevalent in Northern Ireland

for this time of year. While it's extremely unpleasant,

it's also highly infectious. So much so that five wards have

been temporarily closed According to clinicians the spike

in cases is worrying. This is the highest incidence of

this disease we have experienced for many years with the trust and at

least the problems with patient access to deserve this. Translate

both patients are suffering and staff suffering. This means we have

a downturn of staff levels which means care for patients is

increasingly difficult. Are you all sitting around doing nothing? I'm

sick. I know you are, I've been married to you for 40 years.

While there's nothing funny about the so-called

winter vomiting bug, this public health video advises

the public that if they are sick not to visit patients.

Some trusts have had to cancel operations and with the party season

in full swing this current surge in cases could get worse

As there is no cure for norovirus, the best advice is to

According to the Public Health Agency, to avoid dehydration

drink plenty of fluids, wash your hands frequently and most

A 45-year-old man caught at a bomb making factory on a County Fermanagh

Barry Francis Petticrew will spend a further three years on licence.

As well as a large quantity of fertiliser, the police recovered

This is the farm in Kinawley, where police found enough equipment

to create one of the biggest bombs ever used in Northern Ireland.

When officers searched these premises during an undercover

surveillance operation in October 2014, they discovered ammunition,

pipes, timer units, and large quantities of fertiliser.

Barry Francis Petticrew was spotted moving some of these items.

When Barry Petticrew, who's originally from Belfast

but had been living in Swanlinbar in County Cavan, discovered

he was being watched, he tried to escape across the countryside.

Caught by police, he said, "I'm not involved in terrorism.

This house belongs to a friend of mine."

He later admitted the three charges against him.

Police say many of the components seized are used by terrorist

groupings - though Petticrew denied being linked to any organisation.

He said he was pressurised into his actions.

Judge Gordon Kerr QC said the arsenal was found in an area

of dissident republican activity, and the farm was being used

The judge described Petticrew as a mature man who'd allowed

himself to be associated with dissident republicans -

some of whom may have intended to use the deadly explosives.

Sentenced to 11 years in prison and a further three on licence,

Petticrew gave the thumbs up signal to supporters in the public gallery.

Judge Kerr asked for the items recovered from the farm

Police say removing this terrorist haul has prevented

bloodshed, loss of life and consequent heartache.

The Prime Minister says other EU member states are well aware

of the sensitivities of arrangements on the border after the UK

Theresa May was giving evidence to a committee

of MPs this afternoon and our Political Editor Mark

Devenport was listening and he spoke to me earlier.

Theresa May was answering questions from the Liaison Committee and the

chair of the Northern Ireland committee asked her specifically

about Northern Ireland and she repeated the Government mantra that

the Government does not want to see it return to the borders of the past

and neither does double so she said to her this is not just about London

and Dublin but the wider EU. What do they think? This is what she said.

The member states are well aware of the sensitivity of the issues in

relation to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland border and want

to see a solution that works for both sides. Back home, and the

continuing fallout to some of the scenes to do with the Renewable Heat

Incentive scheme, what has happened today? The Speaker of the Stormont

Assembly wrote to MLAs yesterday and said he understood their frustration

but he explain the legal advice was that if they had been a joint

request from both the first and Deputy First Minister for Arlene

Foster to make a statement he couldn't stop that unless he got a

joint rescinding of that from both sides. A degree of logic but that

didn't stop the criticism. The former deputy speaker from the SDLP,

as did Robin Newton Boswell performance with that of the DUP

predecessor Willie Hay and said that he had failed to raise above the

shambles and there was criticism from Eileen Bell who is an Alliance

MLA who was speaker of the transitional Assembly a decade ago.

I was disappointed at the whole process. The members, none of them

were sure what was going to happen. The speaker when he came in and took

the chair looked as if he didn't really know what was going to

happen. The one thing that I know, even though it was a transitional

Assembly, you have to be the speaker and the person who controls

everything. When it comes to the controversial is scheme itself, the

finance and economy ministers are trying to limit the cost of the

scheme and an assume it is a matter of urgency. You would think so. We

are told we won't get the full details until January. Arlene Foster

had said that she hopes at least half of this projected ?400 million

loss over 20 years can be recouped. The Winans Mr Mairtin O Muilleoir

using Twitter said that he met today with the economy Minister to ensure

robust action is taken and that a steward of the public finances he

will ensure that any plan to close temporary stacks up and brings this

sorry episode to a close but that hasn't stopped the opposition saying

the Executive has known about these losses for many months and the

scheme was closed down in February and really this kind of plan to

minimise the losses should have been put in place long before now. Mark

Devenport speaking to me earlier. You're watching BBC Newsline

and there's plenty to come Celebrations on the slopes

for the skiers who've been chosen to represent their country

in the Special Olympics. The High Court has granted

permission for evidence connected to the 1998 Omagh bombing to be

heard partially in secret. The government applied

for what is known as a closed material procedure -

which would allow a judge to examine whether public disclosure

of information would be damaging The ruling was part of an ongoing

legal challenge by the Omagh families to overturn a government

decision not to hold a public The police have recovered a gun

from a house in South Belfast. Workers, who had been refurbishing

the property on Annadale Crescent, alerted the police after discovering

the firearm yesterday. Further searches were carried

out this afternoon. An old landmark building

in Belfast City Centre is to get The former convent, which has

stained glass windows and a chapel, But, as Maggie Taggart reports,

the dramatic plan has had Since they were built in 1880,

both the Convent of Mercy and St Malachy's Girls Primary School have

been serving the people But in recent years, they've been

closed and suffered damage. Now the convent is to get

a new lease of life. It's been sold to a London

developer and is currently being stripped out before

being transformed into apartments. Back in the '90s the nuns used

this room for prayer. Now it's facing a huge change,

but the developers say they're being very careful to preserve

the listed building. To keep the building and give that

new lease of life it is going to be converted to apartments but we have

to do that in a sympathetic manner. If we look at the space behind us

here that was the sacristy and in the old convent. That is something

we wouldn't want to split up. That'll be somebody's quite fabulous

living room and kitchen in a one-bedroom apartment.

But the route to redevelopment wasn't completely smooth.

There was an objection from the trust that

We did have issues with the initial application but once those

objections were raised we worked with them. I think it is the sense

of nothing can stay static forever. The city can stay static. It is

about finding a way -- can't stay static. In a way that it is also

developing obesity and reusing. Local people have fond

memories of the school The most recent use for the convent,

until it was boarded up about ten years ago,

was by the Good Shepherd Sisters. They moved in to help the young

and elderly, but particularly The women used to come

to the convent for tea and sandwiches and some

left the streets. Kick it saddened me whenever I

passed by and it wasn't in use because I had never seen it without

life and activity and it is lovely. I am delighted to hear it has been

refurbished and I think it is great. This convent and the school but I

did have a joint history but training not have a shared future.

The convent will be renovated but the former Saint Malachy 's girls

primary school is still awaiting a buyer to sealed its fate.

A new centre has been opened at the North-West Regional College

designed to help people take the first step towards

The College says budding food producers just need

Here's our North-West Reporter Keiron Tourish.

It took me a long time to get the ratio of bones to what to write so I

could get the perfectly flavoured and nutritious product... Up until

three years ago Carol was a stockbroker of managing a busy

trading desk in Canada. She is always had a passion for food and in

particular making her own stock for cooking. Now due to the food

innovation centre at the Northwest regional College she is able to get

all the help she needs to establish her fledgling business. The centre

has helped me in many many ways with developing the recipe, upscaling the

recipe. Accessing channels to market. Being able to turn the

business into a much more viable business rather than a local -based

business. The centre helps budding chefs develop the business not only

in offering good food but also how to market and sustain the brand. It

is a one-stop shop. We get a lot of individuals who are small start-up

food companies who will come here with an idea and they don't know how

to standardise the recipe and upscaling. Is it a business model?

Are they going into a saturated market? It is like a mentoring

service at the initial stage and then the ball one is to get them

through to production peace, make sure we can make a business model

out of it and get them producing here with all the extra equipment

that we help to ensure that when they said the market they are there

to sustain and grow rather than the ad hoc development. One celebrity

chef 's sister stay afloat you need to be aware of every aspect of your

business. -- says to stay put. Chefs are good at cooking but they might

not always be good business people. With premises like here they will

help you and educate you and help bring the products and develop your

products and the whole legal side, the costing, it has to make

financial sense. You want a product that people will enjoy and by and

they will feel it is value for money. The food innovation centre

says the ultimate aim is to help businesses grow and create jobs and

make a valuable contribution to the Northwest economy.

So, after cooking all that lovely food where do you put the waste?

Well, Northern Ireland Water have made an impassioned plea

to the public not to pour the fat from your Christmas roast

potatoes or leftovers down the sink or the toilet.

?5 million has been spent in the past two years dealing

with thousands of blockages in the sewers.

Their main concern is what they call fatbergs.

Now, be warned, if you're having your dinner or have a queasy

stomach, Helen Jones gets to the dirty truth for this report.

You don't have to poke around too long to find this. Once of congealed

fat and waste which clog up our sewers. Northern Ireland water wants

to keep a lid on it. In this time of the year everyone is cooking their

dinners and getting prepared for the festive activities. In the houses

they are all cooking large meat joints and the like. The reality is

there is a lot of waste of that, greases, on occasion people would

put that down into the sewers and not realise the dangers and

consequences. A fatberg, when the Greece enters the sewer it is

liquid. As it dries out and solidifies and covers the

inappropriate material put down the sewer it can cause a blockage. Over

time that fatberg can get bigger. They can get a couple of metres in

diameter which becomes like a large rock and obstruction in the sewer

that has to be cut out. That is long enough you could be dealing with

this, a 15 tonne fatberg the size of a double-decker bus in the sewers of

London. If you are of a delicate disposition or are having your tea

right now you might want to look away momentarily. This is what

happens when your drains get clogged up. It is not nice. It is a prop.

You'd think I am standing this course of it wasn't? If you are not

convinced, here is a timely message son in the style of

# Make or a wish come true, all we want for Christmas is clean sewers.

There you go. You have been warned. After that festive coral we have

been warned. Not the most palatable of stories but here is Stephen

Watson. Now sport - and Stephen Watson

starts with news about a seriously injured motorcycle racer who has

left hospital in time for Christmas. Yes, I went to meet this inspiration

and very positive young man considering what he has been through

yesterday. Wayne Garrett from Comber

is a multiple Ulster and Irish Back in the summer he crashed

during a motocross race near Athlone suffering serious spinal injuries -

the accident has left Wayne After over five months in hospital

he returned home this week, and told me in a candid interview

for BBC Newsline he hasn't given up Back home for Christmas. Wayne

Garrett continues his recovery from a serious motorcycle crash which has

changed his life. Married to Sarah just last year, his spinal injuries

have brought new challenges for them both. I think it is only whenever

you come through for the first time back home the hard mental torture

starts with everything not being just as easy and getting things done

like you would in the hospital. It is ticking time to adapt now to the

home of and slowly we are getting there and I know in my own head I

had to keep positive and keep going and hopefully who knows what is

going to come in the future. Wayne, one of Ireland's's most accomplished

ever motorbike riders, is determined to regain the use of both legs. I

have a level sensation coming back in one of my legs which is a start.

At this stage I am not getting too carried away. In my head I know I

need to try and get the legs moving rather than on somebody to come to

waive their magic wand. I'm determined and I know what I want to

get. More or less to prove the doubters wrong that I can walk

again. It may happen, it may not. If that doesn't I am prepared for the

Paralympics may be. It is a case of, for me, you just never think it is

going to happen to you. I always it that I was safe. I am a firm

believer in your life as set out for you. This is to is to happen to me,

I just look at it as a new challenge to try and get over it and try and

get back and prove to people that you can recover from spinal

injuries. Let's hope some day down the road I can stand and say I have

done it. Let's hope so. We wish him well with his recovery.

The Belfast Giants have a big game at home tonight as they take

on the Manchester Storm in the second leg of their

The tie is delicately poised after the teams fought out a tense

3-3 draw in the first leg in England last week.

It just comes down to one game. They competed really hard, they

outcompeted us last game but we are fortunate enough to do it but we

have to be smart, very disciplined when we play them and try to

capitalise when we can and try not to give as many goals as last time.

They are a good team. They work hard and there drink is tough to play in.

To be at that level, we like our spot, going back home. If we can win

at home we don't deserve to advance. -- can't win. I like our chances. We

are playing good hockey. We are confident in ourselves and we have

to stay focused and push through to the end. It may be pretty cold

outside but this doesn't matter to this happy bunch.

This trio of Ulster skiers has a busy festive period ahead.

Sean McCartan, Caolan McConville and Cyril Walker have all been

selected to represent Team Ireland at the Special Olympics World Winter

So instead of a turkey and the trimmings, training

It means a lot being selected to represent your country on the world

stage. At 46 and having won a bronze medal in Japan Cyril Walker from

Markethill is a veteran of the team. I can't wait. Lots of fun. All the

fans coming. You are going to Austria. What do you think this time

around? Can you win another bronze? I am going for the gold. And then

there is Caolan McConville. Just 12 years old. He has never skied in

snow before and can't wait. Never skied in the Olympics before. This

is my first time. I have only been skiing for two years. Wow. Not only

have you not skied in the Olympics before but never outside of Ireland

before. No. In the gym every Monday before skiing on Monday. Stretching

and waits? Year. Exactly. I hope you win a medal. I hope so. 16-year-old

Sean McCartan from trade-off is the stylist and rising star. How much

fun is this? -- Carryduff. Lots. Do you think you can win a medal? Yeah,

gold, silver or bronze. Here comes your dad, what does he like? He is a

scallywag and a rascal. Turns out Sean is a bit of a rascal as well.

He soon had me at the top of the stop insisting it was easy. Well, I

took the plunge and Suede but stayed. And that rather wobbly

performance was enough to provoke Lucy, to intervene but some top

tips. On reflection I thought it best to leave this skiing lark to

the experts. I think that was a very sensible

idea. Good luck to our special Olympic athletes heading off to the

winter Games. I like the attitude going for gold. I am sure they will

all come back with medals. Best of luck.

Before we go to the weather let me tell you about our children's

# In the bleak midwinter, long ago... They are all fabulous and the

first school choir is tomorrow. Ballykeel Primary School

in County Antrim. Geoff Maskell has been busy today

because he is striking a storm across the Atlantic. What a

difference a couple of hours can make. This morning lots of us waking

up to a beautiful frosty scene. Through the day we have been

watching the weather coming in from the West. The rain tracking its

progress in. The bulk of the rain arriving in Belfast just in time for

Rush hour. Difficult driving conditions. Still some standing

water around even when it stops. Take care. Eventually it will clear

away. A little bit of a pause in the weather before some wintry showers.

More detail in a bit. I want to mark your cloud for the end of the week.

Come Friday will be saying hello to Storm Barbara and she has the

potential to bring some strong winds and heavy rain. The Met office has

issued a severe weather warning for Friday. One of the busiest travel

days of the holiday period. At the moment all of our weather is coming

straight out of the Canadian Arctic and getting an express ride across

the Atlantic. It doesn't have time to warm up so we are getting a jet

of really cold there on the jet stream. Unsettled weather and

unstable air. Tomorrow that means some really heavy wintry showers.

There will be some brightness in those towers but I think it will be

cold comfort when you look at the temperatures, four or five Celsius

and in the hail and thunder adding the sleet and snow over the hills

and wind chill factor as the westerly and south-westerly breeze

continues its doesn't drop off overnight. The risk of ice overnight

Wednesday into Thursday. Thursday is a very similar story. Wintry

showers, raw cold field to the day. Maybe not quite the intensity to the

showers but a pretty unpleasant day. Then it is Friday and Barbara is

arriving. Come the middle of Friday that weather front will be over us

bringing gusts strong enough to bring branches down of trees enough

to cause some travel disruption. If you have any flexibility in

Christmas travel plans you might want to think about travelling

Thursday or Saturday rather than Friday. I don't think you would

regret it. Barbara, nice name but it doesn't sound very friendly. If you

object to comment on our stories were sent as one of your home we are

on Facebook and also Twitter. Thank you for watching.