21/08/2016 BBC Newsline

The Chief Constable George Hamilton has issued an online apology

for a message he sent on social media.

In an exchange with another Twitter user, he said that anyone

who was unhappy in the PSNI should dry their eyes

The Police Federation had described the comments as offensive.

A video appeared on Twitter - the Chief Constable saying sorry.

I've clearly caused some offence with what I've said.

forum followed an exchange on Twitter yesterday afternoon.

It began when the Chief Constable posted a message calling for people

He was callenged about working conditions.

One user claimed that police officers

are expected to fulfil far more roles than ever anticipated.

During an exchange, Mr Hamilton said the PSNI is here to serve, adding,

"So let's get on with it rather than wallowing in self-pity."

He also tweeted another message saying,

"Well, you are allowed to leave and seek another job.

"Dry your eyes, do the job or move on."

Today, the Chief Constable took to Twitter to apologise.

With such important issues, they're not best dealt with 140 characters

of a tweet. I've clearly caused some offence with what I've said and for

that I apologise. I am hugely proud of the officers and staff who go out

and serve the public everyday. I want to encourage and support them.

I except that my comments last night would not have conveyed that

support. For that, I am sorry. The Police Federation later

accepted that the apology. The Police Federation release date

strongly worded statement. They said the comments amounted to a great

insult and a stunning misjudgment. The statement said that the job was

difficult enough without the Chief Constable showing such indifference.

And politicians who had called him Mr Hamilton to reflect on the

content of the tweets said the police force

must not underestimate the difficulties facing officers.

Recently, I lost my grandson and the police officers who came to my house

who had to do with that as my grandson lay dead on the floor had

to witness that. They were there for a number of hours. I say they were

fantastic, but once they finished, I know it affected them greatly, they

then had to leave my house and want to do other duties. -- and had to do

other duties. The Twitter exchanges and today's

apology will feed into those ongoing concerns about the welfare

of police officers. A man in his forties has

died following a road It happened on the Tullyvar Road

in Aughnacloy shortly before The man's van was the only

vehicle involved. The front room of a house

in South Belfast has been damaged A brick was used to break

the downstairs window of the house on Cooke Street at around

4:00 this morning. The firework partially exploded,

causing smoke damage. A man who was at home

at the time was uninjured. The Olympic Council of Ireland

is to hold a meeting tonight at an undisclosed location

to discuss the arrest of its former The 71-year-old is in jail in Brazil

after being arrested in Rio earlier this week over

alleged ticket fraud. He's understood to be sharing

a prison cell with Kevin Mallon, the director of sports

hospitality company THG, who is also caught up

in the ticketing investigation. Mr Hickey denies any allegations

he was involved in ticket touting and it is expected his lawyers

will appeal the decision to deny him Now, motorists driving

to the County Tyrone village of Newtownstewart have been doing

a double take as they pass through Our reporter Teresa Craig has been

to investigate what's going on. If you go down in the woods today,

you're sure for a big surprise... There is something different about

the country Hunter side outside the village of Newtownstewart and it's

causing a lot of excitement as people travel for miles to find out

what is lurking in the skills to lick fields here. We went past and

had to turn back to see it. It's fantastic. He is made out of hay, so

it's quite cool. I've never seen a bear made out of hay before. It's

like the dog I have at home. Dozens of people are coming from all over

to hear today. Meet Ted, he is over 12 feet tall, made of bales of hay

and it's all down to the hard work of one local farmer who says it's

been no picnic. I brought them here, I piled them up three hi and this

has exploded out. Such as the popularity of this very special

straw creation, that Ted could find himself with company next year. Next

year we'll have to go for Goldilocks and the three bears. The question

is, who will be eating his porridge? Me!

Hello, good evening. Not such a great end to the day, you'll be glad

to hear there is a fair amount of try whether in the forecast this

week. Scattered showers, Prater Sunny spells. The exception will be

tomorrow night into Tuesday, it is likely to be quite what. The eastern

areas may well bear the brunt of that, heavy at times, but nowhere is

immune. Quite what across many parts this evening, heavy bursts likely,

but the rain will ease off tonight. There will be and pieces of rain and

drizzle around. A lot of low cloud and mist, temperatures monkey.

Temperatures not lower than 15 or 16 Celsius. First thing in the morning,

some low cloud, bits and pieces of drizzle before they fade away. That

weather front that brought the overnight rain, it will head into

the central England, heavy bursts at first. To the south of that, dry,

bright and humid. A buffet, variable amounts of clouds, but some sun for

eastern parts of Scotland. A dry afternoon for Northern Ireland, a

fair amount of cloud. The best of the bright spells towards the north.

Highs should get up to 19 or 20 Celsius. There the middle part of

the week, low-pressure out in the Atlantic. Driving a weather front

into northern and western areas am I pushing gradually south into

Wednesday. Ready what in places and not Ireland and Scotland, as we head

into Tuesday in particular. Parts of eastern Northern Ireland most at

risk. To the south, humid with the sunshine, and it is still there as

we head into Wednesday. For more cloud as the weather front pushes

southwards. Towards the north, bright spells, just a view scattered

showers. Pretty much the same sort of theme as we head into Thursday.

Not looking too bad. That said, goodbye.