24/08/2011 BBC Newsline

Good evening, this is BBC Newsline with Donna Traynor and Noel

Thompson. The headlines this Wednesday

evening: Police officers investigating the

vice trade rescue six women and make four arrests.

A young teacher from Belfast dies after an accident on holiday in

Nicaragua. The bodies of the two County Down

women murdered in Turkey arrive back home.

We ask why it took so long to move a broken down car in the rush hour

on the Westlink. And we've had some thundery

downpours already today, but we are not out of the woods yet. I will

The police have taken further action against human traffickers as

part of three-month operation stretching across Europe. They say

they have now rescued six women forced to work as prostitutes, and

today made four arrests in Belfast. Despite the efforts put into

fighting trafficking, to date there have been no successful

prosecutions in Northern Ireland. Four people who were charged in a

high-profile case last year have had their cases moved to the

Scottish Courts. Mervyn Jess reports.

The illegal trafficking of people is a lucrative business. It is a

major problem across Europe, and recent police investigations here

in Northern Ireland would suggest it is not showing any signs of

slowing down. Four suspects were arrested in Belfast today. A 24-

year-old man and a 22-year-old woman were detained in Cavendish

Street in the west of the city. Two men aged 29 and 22 were arrested on

King Street. Two female victims in their twenties from Eastern Europe

were rescued by police, one from the apartment block in King Street

and the other from a nearby property at college place not. The

two women have been taken into the specialist care unit. It is

believed they were being used as prostitutes in the vice trade. Four

other eastern European women were also rescued here in recent weeks.

People are paying money in many cases to come here, and have been

treated with contempt and run in two different issues. People have

been promised a better life, but they have been treated very

unfairly and have been given a very hard life. This is a horrible crime

and I am glad that people have been rested today. Anybody with any type

of information should come forward immediately with information

because people's lives have been ruined here, people's lives have

been ruined for a long time. four suspects, three from Eastern

Europe, the other from Northern Ireland, are being questioned by

police about the people trafficking allegations. These arrests by the

PSNI are part of a major ongoing investigation into people

trafficking, stretching across Europe. Two years ago, 25 victims

were arrested by police. Last year, it was 23. Already this year, 23

people have been rescued here in Northern Ireland.

Tributes have been paid to a young man from Belfast who died on

holiday in Nicaragua. Michael McLean from Fruithill Park fell and

hit his head on a guided walk with one of his brothers. The 26-year-

old had just graduated from university and had planned to teach.

He also coached junior members at his local GAA club. Conor Macauley

reports. At the club of which might, claimed

was a member, the next generation of players were being put through

their paces this morning -- of which Michael Maclean was a member.

His friends are trying to come to terms with his dad. The 26-year-old

met his brother in America before the pair travelled to Nicaragua.

During a visit to a volcano, he slipped and banged his head. He

died a short time later in his brother's arms. He spent his last

night at home. This man says the people who knew him cannot taking

that he has gone. It is difficult to know if it will sink in, it is a

shock to everybody. Michael is one of those larger-than-life

characters, always had a smile on his face. He loved living life,

love his friends, looked his club, and everyone is in complete shock.

Michael Maclean was a former player and administrator with his club, in

west Belfast. Fellow club man and a county public relations officer

Brendan says the family is devastated. Had he died in Belfast,

such a young man, it would be sad, but dying father away makes it even

harder. He is a credit to his family. It is hoped his body may be

home by the weekend, with funeral details to follow.

The bodies of the two Newry women murdered in Turkey have arrived

home. They were flown from Istanbul to Dublin, and taken from there to

their homes in Warrenpoint and Newry, from where Natasha Sayee now

joins us. Relief of a kind to have the bodies time?

I am not too far from Marion's home, but from what I understand it a

hair remains not the friends of her best friend Kathy Dinsmore are at

home with their families at the moment. Their bodies arrived in to

Dublin airport earlier this afternoon, and you should be able

to see the two hearses carrying the women which travelled up from the

airport, through the A 1 and back to Newry together in convoy.

Watching that, what struck me was the fact that the time -- the last

time the two women were on this road, they were travelling in the

other direction to what should have been a wonderful holiday. I

understand their remains are with undertakers at the moment and it

could be some hours before they are returned to their families. It has

already been a painful and long wait for them.

What has awaited them in Newry and Warrenpoint?

And it has been still very raw for the people of Newry, five books of

condolence have been aired -- have been opened it. It is expected that

time will come to a standstill on Friday when the two funerals are

expected to happen. In order to allow all of the mourners to go to

bed services, they have been staggered. Marion Graham's funeral

will take place here on Friday morning and a requiem Mass for

Kathy Dinsmore will be set on Friday afternoon in Warrenpoint.

Thank you very much. A former car thief who gave

information to the gardai about stolen vehicles used to transport

Real IRA bombs has been the target of a pipe bomb attack. Paddy Dixon,

who is 48, suffered minor injuries when the bomb went off as he opened

his front door in Navan this morning. It is thought dissident

republicans may be behind the attack. The victim is under armed

guard in hospital in Drogheda. Two men have been arrested in

connection with an attack on a man in Londonderry five years ago which

left him in a coma. Paul McAuley was beaten by a loyalist gang at a

barbeque in the Waterside in July 2006. He has never regained

consciousness. Only one man has been convicted in relation to the

assault. Today's two arrests were made in the city this morning.

A judge said today that court cases are being held up at all levels

because criminal justice authorities are not putting enough

resources into forensic science. Mr Justice Hart warned of further

delays unless more funding is made available. It is the second time in

a month that a judge has criticised such delays in processing forensic

work. Our home affairs correspondent Vincent Kearney

reports. Forensic scientists play a vital

role in the criminal justice system. Their advice and analysis often

provides the key evidence for the prosecution and defence teams in

court cases. But a senior judge today said that cases are being

held up at all levels because of forensics -- because the Forensic

Science Service does not have enough resources. Mr Justice Hart

spoke out after a lawyer in the High Court said results of a case

were not due until December. The judge described the delay as

entirely unacceptable and unjustified. He said there was

clearly a failure on the part of criminal justice authorities to

provide sufficient resources to enable tests to be carried out

within an appropriate timescale. As a result of that failure, he said,

judges are being told virtually every day of enormous delays that

are holding up cases at every level. Referring to public concern -- to

public concern that the time it takes to deal with cases, he said

politicians and those responsible for allocating funding do not

appear to appreciate that unless facilities are available and

properly resourced, the court cannot deal with cases as quickly

as they would like. He went on to say that the sooner this receive

the appropriate attention of the authorities, the better. The

criticism comes just a month after another judge here described

Forensic Science Service as dysfunctional. He said delays in

processing work were jeopardising criminal trials, and that work

should be sent to England if it cannot be completed here on time.

The Department of Justice is responsible for the Forensic

Science Service, which employs around 200 staff here. In a

statement, a spokesman said the department, police and Forensic

Science Service are working closely together to ensure that forensic

services are appropriately resourced to meet the needs of the

criminal justice system at a time of unprecedented demand.

You are watching BBC Newsline, and we are not taking a break because

there is plenty more still to come on the programme.

The Transport Minister says he will try to get more money to upgrade

the Londonderry railway line. We hear from the Irishman who will

be captaining the English cricket team against the country of his bat

tomorrow. -- the country of his birth.

How long should it take to move a broken down car off the Westlink in

Belfast? Anyone travelling on the road this morning will know that it

can take well over an hour. It left motorists frustrated, some

late for work, and it is not an unusual problem. Julie McCullough

has been taking a look at what causes the delay.

This is the West Lynn, the busiest road in Northern Ireland. Around

40,000 motorists use it each day, and for anyone who drives and it

regularly, you will know it does not take much for it to come to a

standstill. BBC Radio Ulster Travel News... There is a broken-down car

on the outside lane heading towards the M2, which has caused

tailbacks... This morning, it took well over an hour for that broken-

down car to be moved, causing huge problems during one of the busiest

times of the day. But why does it take so long? One reason could be

the lack of a hard shoulder. While this road has three lanes in each

carriage way, it is not a motorway, making it extremely difficult to

get the car off the road and get a breakdown vehicle to the car. Was

that just a case of bad planning? When it was being planned, in

advance of being built, the road went through all of the statutory

proposals and public inquiries, and meets all of the Engineering and

safety standards. It is regrettable that there are isolated incidents

of delay, we sympathise genuinely with those caught up in it, but we

think that there are measures in place that allows for early

intervention to allow blockages to be cleared as quickly as possible.

The car this morning was eventually towed away by a breakdown vehicle

organised by the police, but not paid for by the police. If you

break down on any road in Northern Ireland, it is up to you to get the

car moved. The police have pointed out that it would be a much quicker

process if motorists phoned a towing Company themselves first.

When the minister responsible for roads was asked if Northern Ireland

needed an automatic telling service for cars that cause blockages, he

said he was open to new ideas. If you have also been left

frustrated in a traffic jam in the Westlink, let us know your

experiences, or your suggestions on how to prevent them.

We are at facebook.com/bbcnewsline. You can also get in touch with us

on Twitter or by email, [email protected]. And Radio

Ulster's Talkback programme will be covering this topic tomorrow at

noon. It was a busy day for the transport

minister. He met city councillors worried about the future of the

Belfast-Londonderry rail service. They want the line to have a full

upgrade, but it was reported last week there is not enough money to

pay for it. Danny Kennedy told councillors he will ask the

Passengers who use the rail link between Derry and Belfast will

notice the changes next year. Due to the condition of the track,

translate says it has to carry out maintenance. It means the frequency

of the service will be reduced by six trains a day. A third of trains

between Derry and Belfast will terminate in Colraine, and

passengers will be asked for the rest of their journey. The work

will take two years and come inside between this -- between Londonderry

been the first UK City of Culture. We are going to look stupid in the

eyes of the world if, indeed year that we are inviting people to come

to Northern Ireland and experience our tourism and culture will offer,

we minimise our provision in terms of a railway service... Safety work

on the railway between Belfast and Derry is going to been quite a

disruption for passengers for the foreseeable future. The line is due

an upgrade, but the transport minister says the latest of that

will be available for three years. -- money to start that.

economic times are difficult, and priorities have to be made. It is

customary to invest in infrastructure that provides

employment. This money was committed at the start of the year,

and does not seem to be committed now, and we need to understand what

has happened. The repairs are necessary because the money for a

comprehensive refit of the line is not available. That is due to

public sector spending cuts. Work on that major upgrade was supposed

to begin next year. It has been put on the long finger. People are

looking forward to 2013, and it is an exciting place to be. Those

involved in tourism believe investment in infrastructure

remains critical. It is hugely unfortunate, we are all excited

about the upgrade of the railway, and the lid to the Causeway is so

crucial to Northern Ireland, it is not just crucial to this city, but

from a tourism point of view, it is a big mistake. The Transport

Minister today attended a special meeting with the City Council to

listen to local concerns. He again reaffirmed his commitment to the

service and said he wanted to maintain and upgrade the line.

The tens of thousands of young people awaiting their GCSE results

tomorrow may be interested to learn the financial benefit of doing well.

A study has found that you will earn twice as much in a job if you

have a degree that if you have no A comparison of pay and

qualifications. Yes, the figures tell us the difference between

people who have a few GCSEs and the people who have more qualifications.

If you have a degree, you and most. The difference between you with a

degree and those with just GCSEs has narrowed a bit. That is because

so many more people have degrees. If you have a degree here, you will

earn 84% more. That suggests that doing a degree, even despite the

high costs, is probably still good value, it can be worth it. These

are average figures, some degrees will a new war, some might not.

have to be canny about the choice you make. Absolutely, you should

look at the potential earnings capacity. If a degree is not likely

to earn -- add to your earnings, you should look at the Technical

College. Those colleges, if you go to one of those colleges and you

have a higher education diploma, you will and 68% more than those

people with just GCSEs, better than the UK average, which suggests a

Diploma is worth here and in the rest of the UK. The suggestion is

that qualifications still matter. Of course, and unfortunately we

still have the highest proportion of people without qualifications,

20%, compared to a UK average of 20%. -- 10%. They will earn 19%

less than those with GCSEs. Tomorrow, with the results coming

out, we will focus on the 30,000 young people and the choices they

will now make. Should they think outside the box?

Work has started in County Tyrone to dig out more facts about the

life of a renowned Irish immigrant to the USA. He helped build Boston

It is almost 200 years since he packed his bags and set off across

the Atlantic to a brave new world in America. There is little left of

his life here, but Kindle of Massachusetts, he left a huge

market. You have come over with a team from the University, who was

he? We know that he came over in 1817, he arrived in Boston, he

opened Pru risk, he started a Labour ganged up -- Labour gang. He

lived until 82, he is a Labour leader, a spiritual leader, he also

is a social leader, he became a constable, he got the pigs out of

the streets in their neighbourhood. We do not know what happened to him

before that time. This extension with the second tranche is, that is

having a bit of research done. This is a joint project between Queen

today visited Belfast and the University of Massachusetts. This

is a tremendous Project. It is a transatlantic project, we have been

doing excavations at the heart of the Irish settlement in the 19th

century. We have taken the same crew across, and we are working

here at the homestead. Is it important to put the family on the

back? Yes, if you think of him as an individual who goes Cross and

his development -- is involved in the development of the city, that

is the bottom here, so we are highlighting what he has achieved.

The people here will appreciate the work he has done. The team is

continuing to dig until Friday, and with a bit of luck, the sunshine at

last, and the mark might dry up. Stay with us for a tasty success

story, and how a man's car before making cheese has won him awards

and a place on restaurant menus. Also, the Englishman who wants to

fight as an Irishman. But first, an Irishman who plays

for England. A Eoin Morgan will captain England tomorrow in a one-

day international against Ireland, the land of his birth.

Eoin Morgan knows this cricket ground like the back of his hand,

having grown up in Dublin. He played here many times. Tomorrow,

it will be a complete a different experience. It will be a huge

honour and privilege. I feel very proud of myself to get to the stage,

even if it is only one game. I will hope that it did them proud. It is

a massive day for my family, a lot of them will be here. It will be

really good. It will always be special, I am looking forward to it.

He is not the first Irishman to captain England. Over a century ago,

a Kildare man led England in the Ashes against Australia. England

are the huge favourites, but we remember what happened the last

time the countries played. This is it! This is it! Take a bow,

Ireland! What a game of cricket! I cannot believe it! Terrific! Five

months on, it is good to look back. But you cannot stay in the past,

you have to look forward to progress as a team and as

individuals. It will be hard fought, England have a good young side,

people coming over have things to proved. At least one Irishman will

be in a winning side tomorrow. The majority of the crowd will hope the

team in Queen will celebrate another famous victory, rather than

the doubloon or captained the visiting side. -- Dublin their

captain and the visiting side. Tyson Fury is due to make his

King's Hall debut in Belfast next month. He was born in Manchester

but takes great pride in his Irish roots. He wanted to fight for

Ireland in the Beijing Olympics, but could not prove his heritage.

I almost quit boxing. I had my heart set on going to the Olympic

Games for Ireland. What could have got a gold medal, but it is in the

past now. It is a dream of mine to fight in Northern Ireland, and now

it looks like it is country. When I was an amateur, people did not want

to fight me. The Irish heavyweight champion does not want to fight me.

How can I be the best if they do not want to fight me?

The success story. A County Down man making artisan cheese producers

sit up and take notice. He has come up with a new blue cheese which

I just cut this into squares. all started here in his kitchen,

with a pan of warm milk and a passion to make cheese. It took a

bit of patience. It is a slow food. That is one of the things that is

important to learn. You have to realise that the cheese is ready

when it is ready. It started as a hobby but he was calling on expert

help from the departure of agriculture's Food Centre. The

breakthrough came when this was judged the best Irish cheese at the

Cheese Show. We are dry salt in this. Another way is to put it in a

brine baths. This way, you get more hands-on. He has an enthusiastic

audience, but these are not his cows. He has no farming connections.

The milk comes from a local dairy. That, combined with his expertise,

and the result is a soft, subtle blue cheese. The idea is to take

his product that we have, and will milk, and to try and produce some

think that is really special for Northern Ireland, a true artisan

product. We are a long way down the road to achieving that. The cheese

is on the cheese board of a major hotel chain, and is being stopped

in restaurants. He says there is no fortune to be made, but for him,

the result has been truly satisfying.

That is the definition of happiness, making a living out of pursuing

It is then mixed story. We did not do too badly today. Western parts

were tortured with heavy downpours from early afternoon, but a much

quieter story in the east. The temperatures exceeded expectations,

and we had some good spell of sunshine through the afternoon. The

showers have become more uniform. Through the evening, be prepared

for further showers. We are not out of the woods yet. The showers will

fade away. One or two spots could get lobar than this. There is a

chance of the odd pocket of mist. Tomorrow, the weather is not

changing its tune. First think, it should be dry and bright with

sunshine, but it will not take long before the showers role end. They

start early, and they will be lively from the word go. Even

before lunchtime, we could have a rumble of thunder. They continue

through the afternoon. But they will be hit and miss. Not

everywhere will catch a shower. In between, sunshine. The breeze

should pick up through the second part of the day. That will help to

push the showers out of the way. The showers continue not just for

the afternoon but on into the evening time. There will be some

torrential downpours at times. That is the set up for tomorrow. It is a

showery outlook. On Friday, the showers are not as intense, and

even into the weekend, sunny spells and showers. On Saturday, it will