:00:00. > :00:00.And that is all from us for this evening. Now on BBC One, it is time
:00:00. > :00:08.for Hello, and welcome to BBC Newsline.
:00:09. > :00:11.Several hundred people have been attending a meeting in Downpatrick
:00:12. > :00:15.to show their opposition to reduced Accident Emergency services in the
:00:16. > :00:21.area. Since January, Downe Hospital no longer provides emergency care at
:00:22. > :00:24.night or at weekends. A shortage of emergency doctors has been blamed
:00:25. > :00:33.for the move. Julie McCullough reports.
:00:34. > :00:36.This evening's meeting was organised by the community health committee, a
:00:37. > :00:43.body campaigning for a 24-hour emergency care to be reinstated in
:00:44. > :00:47.the area. This was reported at Christmas time as being a temporary
:00:48. > :00:51.closure. We want the service reinstated now. The people who use
:00:52. > :00:56.that surface and who need to see a doctor in A in Downpatrick are
:00:57. > :01:00.travelling to the Ulster Hospital, the Royal Hospital or wherever to
:01:01. > :01:04.get seen. Why not send the doctors back to Downpatrick to see the
:01:05. > :01:08.people in a convenient location in a modern hospital? Although there were
:01:09. > :01:13.opportunities for politicians to have their say, this evening was
:01:14. > :01:18.also by people sharing their experiences. There's been so many
:01:19. > :01:22.accidents on farms recently that we need all the services that we can
:01:23. > :01:27.get. Believe it or not, my animals have got better service than we have
:01:28. > :01:33.got at the present time. If I call a vet, I can get one within 15 or 20
:01:34. > :01:39.minutes. We, on the farm, or any other local person in the area, have
:01:40. > :01:43.to wait at least an hour before we arrive at Accident Emergency.
:01:44. > :01:47.Those who came here tonight to send a clear message to the Health
:01:48. > :01:51.Minister know it will take more than a public meeting to get the changes
:01:52. > :01:55.they want. A nurse who worked at a care home in
:01:56. > :01:57.Carrickfergus has been struck off for failing to investigate
:01:58. > :02:01.allegations of abuse against elderly and vulnerable residents. Last year,
:02:02. > :02:04.a whistle-blower told the BBC that she'd raised concerns regarding
:02:05. > :02:08.patient safety and neglect at the same home as far back as 2005. Our
:02:09. > :02:20.health correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly reports.
:02:21. > :02:25.This nursing home in Carrickfergus houses elderly and fundable
:02:26. > :02:29.residents. In 2010, the manager was made aware that a number of families
:02:30. > :02:33.were concerned about how loved ones were being treated by a particular
:02:34. > :02:42.member of staff. Evidence was brought before the Nursing And
:02:43. > :02:48.Midwifery Council, which investigates cases of potential
:02:49. > :02:51.misconduct. They found the manager had failed to investigate
:02:52. > :02:54.allegations of abuse by one member of staff against five residents.
:02:55. > :02:59.They also find her guilty of bringing the nursing profession into
:03:00. > :03:03.desperate feud -- disrepute. They said they had reached their decision
:03:04. > :03:08.as it was their duty to protect the public and the vulnerable. The care
:03:09. > :03:13.assistant against whom the allegations were made ceased working
:03:14. > :03:17.at the home at the start of 2011. The manager also left and a new
:03:18. > :03:22.nursing manager was appointed. With regard to the case, the hearing
:03:23. > :03:25.heard high by failing to investigate the allegations, she had continued
:03:26. > :03:29.to put residents at risk. The chairman said that Mrs McCall had
:03:30. > :03:35.deliberately closed her eyes to what was going on around her. He said,
:03:36. > :03:44.due to the prolonged nature of her misconduct, the panel had no other
:03:45. > :03:49.option but to strike off the nursing register. In an unrelated case last
:03:50. > :03:53.year, the BBC revealed how a whistle-blower first made
:03:54. > :04:01.allegations of patient neglect and per practice at Cherry Tree eight
:04:02. > :04:04.years ago. She said her concerns were ignored for years. Shortly
:04:05. > :04:09.after she went public, the Health Minister ordered his own review. In
:04:10. > :04:14.response to the hearing, a statement issued by the home said it was a sad
:04:15. > :04:16.day for the nursing profession and for those who strive to meet the
:04:17. > :04:19.highest standards. MLAs have criticised Northern
:04:20. > :04:24.Ireland's most senior judge after he suggested the Justice Committee was
:04:25. > :04:26.acting outside its powers. The Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan
:04:27. > :04:28.accused the committee of "unconstitutional conduct" in its
:04:29. > :04:41.inquiries into judicial appointments. I was taken aback by
:04:42. > :04:45.the correspondence from the Lord Chief Justice and the tone of the
:04:46. > :04:49.letter. I do not believe it is helpful. It is not conducive to the
:04:50. > :04:53.type of relationship we have been seeking to build with the Lord Chief
:04:54. > :04:55.Justice and I do feel it is an attempt to frustrate the workings of
:04:56. > :04:58.this committee. Masked men have stolen ?3,000 from
:04:59. > :05:01.two elderly sisters in south Belfast. It happened last night at
:05:02. > :05:04.Vernon Street. May Kelly was visiting her sister Eileen when the
:05:05. > :05:09.masked men came into the house and said they were searching for drugs.
:05:10. > :05:12.The men escaped in the direction of Oak Way. The pensioners weren't hurt
:05:13. > :05:18.during the robbery, but were left shaken. They did not want to appear
:05:19. > :05:24.on camera. We just couldn't do anything,
:05:25. > :05:30.because we didn't know where to run two, to tell you the truth. How
:05:31. > :05:37.would they like their mothers to get this? Old-age pensioners, not able
:05:38. > :05:41.to defend themselves. The voices of May and Eileen Kelly
:05:42. > :05:43.who were robbed in south Belfast last night.
:05:44. > :05:47.The funeral has taken place in Newry of Paul Lambert, who was killed in a
:05:48. > :05:50.suspected hit and run in San Francisco last week. Hundreds of
:05:51. > :05:53.people attended the requiem mass at the Church of the Assumption in
:05:54. > :05:57.Drumalane. It's the second tragedy for the family in the last year -
:05:58. > :06:00.his cousin, Kevin Bell, died in a suspected hit and run incident in
:06:01. > :06:03.New York in June. Three laundering plants capable of
:06:04. > :06:06.producing 26 million litres of illegal fuel each year have been
:06:07. > :06:11.uncovered by customs investigators and the police. The plants were
:06:12. > :06:19.discovered in the village of Cullaville in South Armagh. Susie
:06:20. > :06:22.Millar reports. Revenue and Customs investigators
:06:23. > :06:27.say the three plans were producing illegal fuel which would have netted
:06:28. > :06:32.around ?18 million in duty. The main plant, in a barn behind a house, was
:06:33. > :06:37.automated and designed to allow tankers to drive straight in and
:06:38. > :06:41.fill up. This one is quite sophisticated. It has an automated
:06:42. > :06:48.system. There are timers in place so they can do it without being
:06:49. > :06:53.on-site. The facilities for storage of waste products are on-site, and
:06:54. > :06:58.there is big tankers available outside to be filled up from the
:06:59. > :07:01.overhead gantry. While most discoveries of fuel laundering
:07:02. > :07:06.plants are in revolt locations, this one differs in that it is just off
:07:07. > :07:09.the Main Street of Cullaville. The other factor into their's discovery
:07:10. > :07:13.is that the tonnes of waste generated would have been illegally
:07:14. > :07:16.dumped, possibly into the water supply. So far, no arrests have been
:07:17. > :07:19.made. It will cost almost ?1.4 million
:07:20. > :07:23.pounds to repair roads damaged in the recent storms. The largest
:07:24. > :07:29.single bill is ?382,000 to repair the sea wall on the Rostrevor Road
:07:30. > :07:34.near Warrenpoint. Part of the wall and the road collapsed into the sea
:07:35. > :07:37.last week. The weeks of persistent rain have resulted in flooding in
:07:38. > :07:40.County Fermanagh. The Derrychara Link Road in Enniskillen was closed
:07:41. > :07:45.today, although some drivers ignored the warning signs. Water approached
:07:46. > :07:50.a number of business units, and pumps have been brought in to help
:07:51. > :07:54.ease the situation. Water levels in Lough Erne are currently about two
:07:55. > :07:56.feet, or 60cm, below their peak in 2009, when severe flooding resulted
:07:57. > :08:00.in widespread disruption to businesses and the road network.
:08:01. > :08:03.Ireland's cricketers recorded an impressive win in their first
:08:04. > :08:06.Twenty20 international against the current world champions, the West
:08:07. > :08:09.Indies. Playing at Sabina Park in Kingston, Ireland restricted their
:08:10. > :08:14.hosts to 116 for eight. Ed Joyce then starred in the reply - he hit
:08:15. > :08:19.40 runs as Ireland won at a canter by six wickets.
:08:20. > :08:22.Now here's Cecilia Daly with the weather.
:08:23. > :08:30.Good evening. It has been colder today and there
:08:31. > :08:36.could be some ice in sheltered spots tonight. Also, maybe a drop of snow
:08:37. > :08:43.for higher ground, for instance on the Sperrins, the Antrim Hills and
:08:44. > :08:50.the high ground. Heavy showers and gusty winds. The theme continues
:08:51. > :08:56.into tomorrow. Yes, heavy showers around, but in between, sunshine and
:08:57. > :08:59.rainbows. The showers will be wintering, particularly over higher
:09:00. > :09:03.ground, and it will be called first thing with perhaps some ice in
:09:04. > :09:08.places as well. Looking at the bigger picture, a rash of showers
:09:09. > :09:12.are across the island of Ireland. Heavy showers moving into Scotland
:09:13. > :09:18.with some snow for the Scottish mountains. Some snow over the
:09:19. > :09:22.Pennines. Further south, showers will become fewer, particularly over
:09:23. > :09:26.eastern England, East Anglia and the south-east. Temperatures in London
:09:27. > :09:29.getting into double figures. Most places will have a cold day with
:09:30. > :09:36.temperatures in single figures. When the showers, long, the temperature
:09:37. > :09:41.will drop. It will feel cold at times. The sunshine at last thing
:09:42. > :09:45.very long. Tomorrow night, there could be a little bit of ice. A dry
:09:46. > :09:49.start on Saturday before it becomes cloudier and damper from the West.
:09:50. > :09:56.Heavy rain and strong winds to come on Saturday night. It will become
:09:57. > :09:57.drier later on Sunday. Enjoy the rest of you evening.
:09:58. > :09:59.Goodbye.