:00:16. > :00:19.Good evening. This is BBC Newsline with Donna Traynor. The headlines:
:00:19. > :00:24.Families let down by a deeply flawed investigation - police in
:00:24. > :00:30.the dock over the murders of Trevor Buchanan and Lesley Howell.
:00:30. > :00:33.Arguments over fracking for gas generate some heat up at Stormont.
:00:33. > :00:37.Could jobs be cut and workers re- deployed in the health service
:00:37. > :00:42.across Northern Ireland? Do you care enough about hens to pay more
:00:42. > :00:47.for your eggs? It's going to happen soon. We've all heard about phone
:00:47. > :00:50.hacking, but Big Brother could be watching your every move online.
:00:50. > :00:55.We'll hear from the man who'll be riding this machine in next years
:00:55. > :01:04.British Superbike Championship. And not as much ice tonight, but it's a
:01:04. > :01:07.very blustery one with rain or First to the police investigation
:01:07. > :01:10.into the deaths of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan - described
:01:10. > :01:12.today as deeply flawed and an investigation which let down the
:01:12. > :01:18.families. For decades they had believed their loved ones had
:01:18. > :01:20.killed themselves, because that was what the police said. Now after the
:01:20. > :01:23.convictions of their spouses who were having an affair, the families
:01:23. > :01:25.know they were murdered. Today's Police Ombudsman report paints a
:01:25. > :01:28.damning picture of the police investigation. It finds bias from
:01:28. > :01:38.the beginning, forensic evidence not gathered, key evidence ignored.
:01:38. > :01:38.
:01:38. > :01:43.Our District journalist Nicola Weir has been following the case. It was
:01:43. > :01:50.at these cottages that the body of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchannan
:01:50. > :01:55.were found in May 1991. They were discovered after dentist Colin
:01:55. > :02:00.Howell asked two people to look for them there. The police ombudsman
:02:00. > :02:06.said this should be have been the first clue that pointed to foul
:02:06. > :02:11.play. These were the detectives in charge of case, Hamilton Houston
:02:11. > :02:15.and Jack Hutchinson. The ombudsman said their information was biased,
:02:15. > :02:19.because any evidence that didn't suit the suicide theory was
:02:19. > :02:23.disregarded. They have looked for evidence to support that theory.
:02:23. > :02:29.Everything else what has come along, well that doesn't mat we are, we
:02:29. > :02:36.can overlook that. They seem to have this tunnel vision, we believe
:02:36. > :02:46.it is suicide and we get the facts together. An hour to gather
:02:46. > :03:03.
:03:03. > :03:08.The report says Howell and his former lover, Hazel Stewart was
:03:08. > :03:13.caught lying about their affair, but they were still treated as
:03:13. > :03:18.credible witnesses. This police officer, Dave Green, told the two
:03:18. > :03:22.investigators he was suspicious of the scene and of Howell's story.
:03:23. > :03:28.And Lesley told friends hourl was giving her medication and had put a
:03:28. > :03:35.live electrical cable into her bath. One was Margaret Topping who spoke
:03:35. > :03:44.to the BBC in March. She wasn't suicidal the last day I saw her.
:03:44. > :03:49.And there were... Things that... You don't do if you're going to
:03:49. > :03:55.commit suicide. It just didn't fit. But there was a catalogue of missed
:03:55. > :04:01.clues that would have dispelled the suicide theory. The vacuum cleaner
:04:01. > :04:06.hose was too big for car exhaust and was obstructed by the boo.
:04:06. > :04:13.Trevor's leg was hanging out of car door. Injuries to his face and head
:04:13. > :04:16.were not document and a sweatshirt had blood on it. They were never
:04:16. > :04:20.followed up. In the last few days we have been briefing the family.
:04:20. > :04:24.We have talked them through our report and when we put our report
:04:25. > :04:30.in front of them, item after item, opportunity after opportunity that
:04:30. > :04:33.were missed, they thought they had heard it all and they were they
:04:33. > :04:40.were shocked and disa pointed in how they felt the police had let
:04:40. > :04:50.them down. In a statement, the dauct of Lesley and Colin Howell
:04:50. > :04:54.
:04:54. > :04:58.said there was huge regret that it Out. The Buchanan family said the
:04:58. > :05:01.investigation into the murders was in stark contrast to the
:05:01. > :05:11.professional, competence and meticulous police investigation
:05:11. > :05:26.
:05:26. > :05:34.which earlier this year led to the The SSNI will carry out a review of
:05:34. > :05:44.current procedures. -- PSNI. Later in the programme we've an update on
:05:44. > :05:54.
:05:54. > :05:56.the departure of Al Hutchinson as the Police Ombudsman. Hundreds of
:05:56. > :05:58.staff who work in administration in the health service could face
:05:58. > :06:01.redeployment following a re- organisation of services. Four
:06:01. > :06:04.Centres of expertise are to be created - including payroll being
:06:04. > :06:07.moved entirely to Belfast and human resources to Armagh. People who
:06:07. > :06:09.already work in these areas will be expected to relocate. The BBC
:06:09. > :06:11.understands that around 100 posts will eventually go. Our Health
:06:11. > :06:15.Correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly has the details$$WHITE Proceedings
:06:15. > :06:24.Short time this morning while a protestor was evicted from the
:06:24. > :06:29.public gallery. The health union representatives were called at
:06:29. > :06:34.short notice to alert them that the health minister is due to announce
:06:34. > :06:38.a consultation tomorrow. Some of those representatives contacted the
:06:38. > :06:42.BBC. We approached the Department of Health for clarification earlier
:06:42. > :06:46.this afternoon. And they confirmed the story and said that the
:06:46. > :06:50.minister is due to release this consultation programme tomorrow.
:06:50. > :06:55.There are going to be centres of expertise. Why is that happening?
:06:55. > :07:00.The Department of Health says they want to create centres of expertise,
:07:00. > :07:06.as they call them, because each department or each Trust has its
:07:06. > :07:12.own payroll and human resources. Instead Belfast will become the hub
:07:12. > :07:21.for payroll. Human resources will be in Armagh. Finance in ball Mina
:07:21. > :07:25.and if you work for payroll in DrY, you will be expected to -- Derry -
:07:25. > :07:28.to relocate to a post in Belfast. This took a lot of people by
:07:28. > :07:33.surprise. But according to the department it is about sharing
:07:33. > :07:39.expertise and improving performance and they hope to save around �100
:07:39. > :07:42.million. What reaction have you got? Some of the unions
:07:42. > :07:47.representatives that I have spoken to said it took them by surprise
:07:47. > :07:51.and even took managers by surprise and of course on top of this it is
:07:51. > :07:58.about Fahrenheit si savings. We have a report next week and they
:07:58. > :08:05.hope to save, or lose 100 mosts. Thank you. Proceedings at the
:08:05. > :08:07.Assembly were suspended while a protester was evicted from the
:08:08. > :08:11.public gallery. MLAs were debating the controversial subject of
:08:11. > :08:14.fracking - a process by which gas is extracted from the ground. And
:08:14. > :08:16.this is how it works. The first step involves drilling down and
:08:16. > :08:19.shattering hard shale rock with small explosions. Then water, sand
:08:19. > :08:22.and often chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure,
:08:22. > :08:25.releasing the gas. It's then sucked up into the well. That's the
:08:25. > :08:29.science behind it, with the latest on protests at Stormont, our
:08:29. > :08:38.political correspondent, Martina Purdy, has this report. No fracking
:08:38. > :08:43.way has become the catch phrase of those who want fracking banned.
:08:43. > :08:50.Opponent say the price is too high. It is about getting the last dregs
:08:50. > :08:59.of gas from under the ground. This economic, environmental and health
:08:59. > :09:04.impacts and we don't want this. protester brought a petition signed
:09:04. > :09:12.by 2,500 people. Their opposition was backed by a Stormont debate led
:09:12. > :09:22.by the Green and Alliance Partys. But the debate was interrupted by a
:09:22. > :09:28.
:09:28. > :09:36.protester. BLEEP. Order. BLEEP. Your own people. Order. You BLEEP.
:09:36. > :09:40.Order. Suspend the sitting. Suspended. The sitting is suspended.
:09:40. > :09:45.Police were called and it is believed the man was escorted
:09:45. > :09:48.through the building before the debate resumed. Later enterprise
:09:48. > :09:52.minister who has supported the granting of licences to explore
:09:52. > :09:57.fracking was dismissive of the protester who had personally
:09:57. > :10:00.attacked her. It is a silly way to make your point to scream
:10:00. > :10:06.obscenitys at people and I'm glad that the security staff were there.
:10:06. > :10:09.However, the minister was unable to persuade the Assembly to reject the
:10:09. > :10:16.alliance and Green Party motion against fracking, that will still
:10:16. > :10:20.require planning permission to proceed on a wide scale. The former
:10:20. > :10:22.civil rights leader Ivan Cooper has told an inquest that the IRA left
:10:22. > :10:25.the Bogside area of Londonderry before Operation Motorman in 1972.
:10:25. > :10:28.Fifteen-year-old Daniel Hegarty was killed by the army when soldiers
:10:28. > :10:31.went in retake the Bogside, known then as a no-go area. The MoD has
:10:31. > :10:41.already apologised for describing the teenager as a terrorist. Kevin
:10:41. > :10:47.
:10:47. > :10:54.Sharkey reports from the inquest. Almost 40 years have passed, today
:10:55. > :11:00.the legacy of Operation motor man brings Ivan coop tore a Cor nor's
:11:00. > :11:07.court N1972 he was an MP trying to hold the political line during
:11:07. > :11:11.Operation motor man and the Bogside and other face. Mr Cooper was told
:11:11. > :11:15.about the army plans the day before by the police. Ivan Cooper went to
:11:15. > :11:20.bogside, where he spotted what he described as an IRA staff car. He
:11:20. > :11:28.spoke to the driver and told him of the army's plans. After that, Mr
:11:28. > :11:33.Cooper said, he didn't sigh any IRA men in the city. The IRA he said
:11:33. > :11:38.left onmass. Where did they go, he was asked. To Donegal, he said.
:11:38. > :11:46.That was common knowledge. Daniel Hegarty was shot by a sold area
:11:46. > :11:50.twice in the head. He died with do cousins on his side. Today one
:11:50. > :11:54.recalled how youthful excitement turned to death. He said that he
:11:54. > :11:58.had heard a broadcast by the then Secretary of State in which he
:11:58. > :12:02.appealed to people to stay off the streets. But h said we had to get
:12:02. > :12:07.out, big tanks were coming in, we couldn't miss that. When asked by
:12:07. > :12:14.counsel for the Ministry of Defence if warnings were shouted before the
:12:14. > :12:17.shootings, he said, no chance, that is all lies. It is a myth. A former
:12:17. > :12:20.priest who was forced to resign from his job with the policing
:12:20. > :12:23.board has won damages in an out of court settlement. Kevin Kennedy
:12:23. > :12:27.took a case against the Chief Constable after he was told he
:12:27. > :12:29.could no longer work for the board because he had failed a security
:12:29. > :12:32.check. This was based on information the police said they
:12:32. > :12:42.had on his brother Dermot. Mr Kennedy - whose costs were also
:12:42. > :12:48.paid - said he felt vindicated in taking the action. It has been
:12:48. > :12:52.going on since 2004 and it has been difficult and fraught. I have been
:12:52. > :13:02.close to despair on many occasions. But I'm glad that we have reached
:13:02. > :13:02.
:13:02. > :13:08.today and I'm very satisfied with the outcome and very happy.
:13:09. > :13:13.Families represented people who were killed by the army in 1971
:13:13. > :13:17.have demanded an international inquiry into the deaths. They want
:13:17. > :13:23.the Government to issue a statement of innocence and make a public
:13:23. > :13:33.apology. The victims included a priest and a mother of eight shot
:13:33. > :13:41.
:13:41. > :13:44.by members of the Parachute Regiment. The Republic's Finance
:13:44. > :13:47.Minister has said he does not expect an exodus of shoppers from
:13:47. > :13:50.the Republic crossing the border in the wake of Ireland's two percent
:13:50. > :13:53.VAT increase. It's just one of the austerity measures Michael Noonan
:13:53. > :13:56.confirmed in the second part of the Republic's budget. Income tax was
:13:56. > :13:59.left untouched. Instead one billion euro of taxes will be raised via
:13:59. > :14:01.capital taxes and VAT. A 100 euro household charge was also confirmed.
:14:01. > :14:04.And Northern Ireland-based owners of homes in the Republic will be
:14:04. > :14:09.liable for the charge per dwelling. Still to come: The police ommuds
:14:09. > :14:13.man is leaving, but how long is it going to take to find a successor
:14:13. > :14:23.and is the man to put fresh legs into Ulster's challenge this
:14:23. > :14:31.
:14:31. > :14:34.season? It's almost seven weeks since Al Hutchinson announced he
:14:34. > :14:36.said he was quitting as Police Ombudsman at the end of January.
:14:36. > :14:39.That followed a BBC Spotlight programme which identified
:14:39. > :14:41.significant failings in the work of his office. But the search for his
:14:42. > :14:44.successor is still at the planning stage. Our Home Affairs
:14:44. > :14:47.Correspondent Vincent Kearney reports. Al Hutchinson is due to
:14:47. > :14:54.step down as police um buds man in eight weeks. He announced his
:14:54. > :14:59.desire to take early retirement 47 days ago, following a BBC programme
:14:59. > :15:03.which identified failings in his office. But the search for a
:15:03. > :15:09.successor has get to begin. Responsibility for the appointment
:15:09. > :15:13.lies with the first and deputy First Ministers. 49 days ago,
:15:13. > :15:19.acting deputy First Minister, John O'Dowd was asked what he thought
:15:19. > :15:23.should happen. If Al Hutchinson is interested in good policing and to
:15:24. > :15:27.play a positive role there is only one option left, that is for Al
:15:27. > :15:32.Hutchinson o' - to offer his resignation. Then the First
:15:32. > :15:36.Minister said he took a different view. Nobody has come up to me and
:15:36. > :15:42.said this is terrible, I have no confidence in the ombudsman's
:15:42. > :15:46.office. Let's not get perhaps drawn into what is politically driven in
:15:46. > :15:52.these matters. A statement, the office of first and deputy First
:15:52. > :15:56.Minister said arrangements for finding a successor are at the
:15:56. > :16:00.planning stage. We understand that the discussion about the
:16:00. > :16:03.recruitment process are well advanced and the position may be
:16:03. > :16:08.advertised shortly. While Al Hutchinson has said he plans to
:16:08. > :16:13.leave office in January, source say it could be next summer brfr a
:16:13. > :16:17.successor is in place. And if so, the police ombudsman is expected to
:16:17. > :16:21.delegate his authority to someone else within the office before he
:16:21. > :16:28.leaves. That Thein means the office could continue to function until
:16:28. > :16:36.the recruitment process is completed. Acting Chief Executive
:16:36. > :16:41.Olwyn Laird is viewed as the person most likely to fill the position on
:16:41. > :16:44.a temporary basis. Phone hacking isn't the only way people find out
:16:44. > :16:47.information about us without us knowing. Over the next few nights
:16:47. > :16:52.we're going to look people can spy on or control our lives using
:16:52. > :16:56.digital technology. Tonight our science correspondent Mike McKimm
:16:56. > :17:01.focuses on the internet. Just by using the world-wide web on a
:17:01. > :17:09.computer, strangers can discover private information about us. It's
:17:09. > :17:14.a big problem that's forced a change in the law. Almost every
:17:14. > :17:19.time you surf the net, coded messages are hidden on your
:17:19. > :17:24.computer. They tell web-site owners about you, about your habits and
:17:24. > :17:29.what you might buy. These message are called cookies and are being
:17:29. > :17:35.seen as a threat to privacy. But many computer users are simply
:17:35. > :17:41.unaware they exist. Do you know what a cookie is? No. What is it.
:17:41. > :17:46.No. I have heard of it before, but I can't tell you what it is. So why
:17:46. > :17:51.are cookies so widely used? And what can people learn from us about
:17:51. > :17:55.us knowing? Are they a threat to our privacy? If you're a privacy
:17:55. > :18:00.conscious person, and you don't want people to know more
:18:00. > :18:03.information about you, than you want to give them, or you realise
:18:04. > :18:08.you're giving them, you should be worried, because they can be used
:18:08. > :18:14.the collect more information about you than you necessarily know about
:18:14. > :18:19.at this time. If you are not that concerned about your privacy, then
:18:19. > :18:28.you would not be that worried. new law has been introduced the
:18:28. > :18:33.make it illegal to place cookies on a computer without seeking
:18:33. > :18:38.permission and web-site could face a fine of up to �500,000. This man
:18:38. > :18:41.thinks the legislation is too general and will hit innocent web-
:18:41. > :18:46.sites. Imagine each time youz visited Google and the first time
:18:46. > :18:54.you were asked to do, instead of which products to buy, you're asked
:18:55. > :19:04.if you have if you can down load cookies. That is a hassle for
:19:05. > :19:05.
:19:05. > :19:08.people. To say that is not helpful. It is claiped some web siepts are
:19:08. > :19:12.gathering too much personal -- claimed some web sites are
:19:12. > :19:16.gathering too much personal information. Some gather a lot of
:19:16. > :19:20.information about sites you visited and which pages you have gone into
:19:20. > :19:26.it. We don't believe it is always necessary for organisations to have
:19:26. > :19:32.that information. The amount of information that is going from the
:19:32. > :19:37.uezer to the organisation to the web-site, to the host, it is
:19:37. > :19:42.excessive. Mike, what's the best way to control computer cookies?
:19:43. > :19:49.Yes go into your internet settings and choose cookies. And tomorrow
:19:49. > :19:55.night I'm going to look at another area that is smarlt phone and why
:19:55. > :19:59.your smart moan is offering you adverted that Sime -- phone is
:19:59. > :20:09.offering youed a vers that seem to be tailored to you. Now Gavin
:20:09. > :20:15.
:20:15. > :20:18.Andrews is next. You'll be hearing a lot about the welfare of hens
:20:19. > :20:21.over the next few weeks, because by the end of the year the birds must
:20:22. > :20:24.be given more living space. Local farmers are either investing in new
:20:24. > :20:26.accommodation or they're quitting the industry. Our rural affairs
:20:26. > :20:30.correspondent Martin Cassidy looks at the welfare changes and what
:20:30. > :20:37.they mean for the eggs we eat He's here in studio with one of the
:20:37. > :20:42.Alastair Seeley who's heading to the British Superbike Championship.
:20:42. > :20:49.Thanks to European legislation hen welfare will be improved. Here the
:20:49. > :20:55.new hen friendly cages are being installed to meet a 1st January
:20:55. > :21:01.deadline. Instead of four hens in a small cage, the new system has 70
:21:01. > :21:06.hens in more social areas with more space to move around. The first
:21:06. > :21:12.change is that the bird has a nest into which he can go and lay her
:21:12. > :21:18.egg. You will find three or four birds in there laying. Then in the
:21:18. > :21:24.middle of the age there is a perch and this allows the bird to instead
:21:24. > :21:28.of sitting on wire in the evenings, she can roost on the pench. For
:21:28. > :21:36.scratching we have the crash area. This is a rubber mat. Some feed
:21:36. > :21:39.will come out from the trough and the bird then can scratch the feed
:21:39. > :21:44.and replicate behaviour that you would find outside. The hens look
:21:44. > :21:48.OK, but are they any happier? Well that is hard to say. Despite the
:21:48. > :21:53.extra space, they don't actually produce any more eggs. Most
:21:53. > :21:58.consumers say they are prepared to pay the extra the new cages will
:21:58. > :22:03.add to the price. If the evidence is there that the chickens are
:22:03. > :22:12.being kept in more humane circumstances, I would consider.
:22:12. > :22:16.rblly look for three range eggs. They're healthier and it is more
:22:16. > :22:22.humane. It cruel, there is thousands of them in a very small
:22:22. > :22:25.area and they're there to produce. They don't have a life.
:22:25. > :22:35.producers here but many European countries have failed to respond
:22:35. > :22:38.
:22:38. > :22:43.and that could mean restrictions on egg imports from those countries.
:22:43. > :22:53.People on our Facebook page have been saying they are happy to pay
:22:53. > :23:03.
:23:03. > :23:11.Gavin is here with one of the fastest men on two wheels, Alistair
:23:11. > :23:17.Seeley and he has brought his new bike. Alistair is moving up to big
:23:17. > :23:22.bikes. A big chance for you? moving into the Superbike class and
:23:22. > :23:28.really looking forward to the challenge. It is the premiere class
:23:28. > :23:33.and I want to move up and take on a new challenge. A local team and a
:23:33. > :23:37.local rider wha, will that mean for racing here? It will be good. I
:23:37. > :23:41.want to try and win three Championships within four years
:23:41. > :23:48.with the team and possibly move on to world Superbikes. Will we see
:23:48. > :23:52.you on this bike this career? hopefully I will be clocking over
:23:52. > :23:57.200mph. And you have been doing some boxes. You're working hard?
:23:57. > :24:02.I'm going to ride a lot of motor cross and keep myself in top
:24:02. > :24:06.condition and come out gung ho next year and try and take this
:24:06. > :24:09.Championship. Thank you. From one man facing a fresh challenge to
:24:09. > :24:12.another. Ulster Rugby's latest signing Stefan Terblanche has been
:24:12. > :24:16.named in the squad for this Friday's Heineken Cup clash with
:24:16. > :24:25.Aironi. The South African fullback has been speaking to Nial Foster.
:24:25. > :24:31.After a five week wait, Terblanche is the centre of attention. It took
:24:31. > :24:35.a while, as South Africans we need a visa, but I made it. I'm
:24:35. > :24:40.delighted to be here. I have to find my feet quickly and get to
:24:40. > :24:44.know the guys on and off the teeld and hopefully I can settle the guys
:24:44. > :24:51.down and give them a lot of experience and a lot of confidence.
:24:51. > :24:56.It has not taken long for the 36- year-old to acclimatise. We did a
:24:56. > :25:01.barbecue on Sunday and half way through it started snowing. It was
:25:01. > :25:05.a South African barbecue with a bit of Northern Ireland snow! He is a
:25:05. > :25:12.good friend and the qualities he will bring and the experience that
:25:12. > :25:18.4 will bring will be good for us. And he hits the ground running this
:25:18. > :25:26.weekend. Northern Ireland will play the Netherlands in an international
:25:26. > :25:34.friendly in June in the Amsterdam a' that. The Clifton vil manager is
:25:34. > :25:40.resigned to losing Rory Donnelly. And Antrim's Mark Allen will face a
:25:40. > :25:46.disciplinary committee for swearing during a news conference. In which
:25:46. > :25:52.he criticised world snooker he criticised world snooker
:25:52. > :25:56.chairman, Barry Hearn. Now the weather. It is still cold enough
:25:56. > :26:01.for some ice tonight. Not as widespread as last night. But the
:26:01. > :26:06.wind is the main feature. It is the isobars that we're looking at. They
:26:06. > :26:12.pack in tightly through tonight. That is a sign of strong winds and
:26:12. > :26:15.gales. Those winds are picking up sharply tonight. Still feeding in a
:26:15. > :26:21.few showers. They will come further inland for a time during the night
:26:21. > :26:26.as the winds strengthen. Gale force gusts are likely, up to 50mph
:26:26. > :26:34.inland and 60 towards the north coast. Some of the showers could be
:26:34. > :26:38.sleety later on. Temperatures drop to do or two Celsius that. Is low
:26:38. > :26:44.enough for some icy patches. But apart from a few showers, it is a
:26:44. > :26:51.bright start. But still windy. The wind very strong and reaching gale
:26:51. > :26:55.force in the morning. The wind, the gales moderate a bit as we head to
:26:56. > :27:02.the afternoon. And then most of the showers confined to north Antrim
:27:02. > :27:06.and northern part of Londonderry. For many other areas a lot of dry
:27:06. > :27:14.and bright weather and temperatures around six or seven degree. But
:27:14. > :27:18.still windy. It is a bright end to the day. But as we head into
:27:18. > :27:24.tomorrow night the cloud returns, the winds pick up again to bring
:27:24. > :27:28.some wet weather. We're keeping an eye on the winds. The Met Office
:27:29. > :27:37.has issued an early warning for high winds causing discorruption
:27:37. > :27:43.rupgs with -- disruption with gusts up to 70mph. It starts mild on
:27:43. > :27:47.Thursday. At 10 degrees. But then the winter returns with a vengeance