:00:00. > :00:19.That's all from the BBC News at six so it's goodbye from
:00:20. > :00:23.Newsline: The former First Minister David Trimble says he was shocked
:00:24. > :00:28.and hurt when he heard about the on-the-run letters.
:00:29. > :00:34.Hundreds of thousands of endangered eels die as they attempt to reach
:00:35. > :00:36.the Erne. I am live at the dam in Ballyshannon where the kill took
:00:37. > :00:40.place. 15 months in jail for a man
:00:41. > :00:44.described by a judge as a determined conman.
:00:45. > :00:48.Living with a brain injury, we hear one woman's story.
:00:49. > :00:52.My life changed overnight, instantly, in an instant. I woke up
:00:53. > :00:58.from a coma in hospital and I became almost a different person.
:00:59. > :01:05.Join me live on the North Coast with all the latest from the opening
:01:06. > :01:08.practice sessions at motorcycling North West's 200.
:01:09. > :01:15.It's been a lovely afternoon at the north coast, but how is the rest of
:01:16. > :01:19.the week shaping up? The former First Minister and Ulster
:01:20. > :01:23.Unionist leader David Trimble has said he was shocked and hurt that
:01:24. > :01:29.Tony Blair kept him in the dark about a secret process to deal with
:01:30. > :01:34.on-the-runs. Lord Trimble, who was one of the key architects of the
:01:35. > :01:36.Good Friday Agreement, today told the Northern Ireland Affairs
:01:37. > :01:42.Committee at Westminster that he felt deceived. Our home affairs
:01:43. > :01:47.correspondent reports. Hundreds of republican and loyalist
:01:48. > :01:50.paramilitaries were released from prison early as part of the Good
:01:51. > :01:54.Friday Agreement signed by David Trimble. He won the Nobel Peace
:01:55. > :01:58.Prize and worldwide acclaim for his role in the agreement. He insists he
:01:59. > :02:02.knew nothing about a secret scheme that resulted in letters being sent
:02:03. > :02:06.to almost 200 on-the-runs, telling them they weren't wanted for
:02:07. > :02:09.questioning by the police for offences committed before the
:02:10. > :02:14.agreement was signed. David Trimble today said the first he into was
:02:15. > :02:17.when a judge ruled that John Downey wouldn't stand trial for the murders
:02:18. > :02:21.of four soldiers because he was sent one of the letters. At no time was
:02:22. > :02:25.any hint dropped to us about the existence of this scheme. He was
:02:26. > :02:31.then asked for his response to not being told. When you see what has
:02:32. > :02:35.happened with regards to OTRs and when it was happening and then
:02:36. > :02:38.overlay your own involvement in the significant political development of
:02:39. > :02:43.Northern Ireland at that time, do you feel betrayed by Tony Blair and
:02:44. > :02:47.those players at that time? I must confess I was quite - you know,
:02:48. > :02:54.quite hurt by the fact that there we had sat so many meetings,
:02:55. > :02:59.Secretaries of States, Prime Minister, and we approached those
:03:00. > :03:04.meetings in a candid manner to find out that they were deliberately
:03:05. > :03:07.keeping something from us. The committee will travel to Stormont
:03:08. > :03:10.next month for a two-day evidence-gathering session. They'll
:03:11. > :03:14.question the First Minister Peter Robinson who has described the OTR
:03:15. > :03:17.letters as get out of jail free cards and also criticised the
:03:18. > :03:25.Government for keeping his party in the dark. Deputy First Minister
:03:26. > :03:30.Martin McGuinness and Justice Minister David Ford will also give
:03:31. > :03:33.evidence. They'll also question the director of prosecutions about his
:03:34. > :03:38.involvement in the scheme. In a previous role as a solicitor, he
:03:39. > :03:42.acted on behalf of Sinn Fein and met a senior police officer in charge of
:03:43. > :03:45.a specialist PSNI team set up to deal with the issue of the
:03:46. > :03:49.on-the-runs. They discussed the legal mechanics of the process and
:03:50. > :03:53.his law firm later submitted a significant number of names to the
:03:54. > :03:58.police to have their legal status clarified. The committee is trying
:03:59. > :04:02.to finalise arrangements to take evidence from former Prime Minister
:04:03. > :04:06.Tony Blair whose Government set up the OTR scheme.
:04:07. > :04:11.Hundreds of thousands of eels have died in traps that were supposed to
:04:12. > :04:18.help them migrate around a dam into Lough Erne. European eels are a
:04:19. > :04:20.critically endangered species and one scientist has described the
:04:21. > :04:23.incident as a failure of international significance.
:04:24. > :04:30.It happened over the Easter weekend at the power station in Ballyshannon
:04:31. > :04:38.in County Donegal. Our south-west reporter is there now. Explain what
:04:39. > :04:44.happened. Well, the young eels were attempting to migrate from the
:04:45. > :04:50.Atlantic upstream into the Erne. The journey began some 4,000 miles away
:04:51. > :04:58.where the breeding ground is. In order to get around the dam the
:04:59. > :05:02.power company ESB operate to elver traps where they're caught and put
:05:03. > :05:08.into barrels and transported around the dam by truck. Now it appears no
:05:09. > :05:13.one was checking these traps over the Easter holiday weekend. There
:05:14. > :05:18.was a major run, the traps became full but with nowhere to go they
:05:19. > :05:25.apparently were starved of oxygen and died. ESB said 112 kilogrammes
:05:26. > :05:30.of dead elvers were discovered which equates to more than 300,000 dead
:05:31. > :05:38.eels. What has it done to the eel stocks? Well, European eels are an
:05:39. > :05:43.endangered species, it's thought their numbers have declined by
:05:44. > :05:48.around 90% over the last 30-40 years. In response, eel fishing on
:05:49. > :05:52.the Erne was banned some four years ago and some fishermen are employed
:05:53. > :05:57.in transporting the eels around the dam. One scientist told me that this
:05:58. > :06:02.year has seen young eels return to European waters in record numbers,
:06:03. > :06:08.perhaps the best in 30 years. He described this as a major and
:06:09. > :06:14.unnecessary kill. The power company said as of last week it had trapped
:06:15. > :06:18.more than 461 kilogrammes of live healthy eels and transported them
:06:19. > :06:21.successfully around the dam, that's around one-and-a-half million eels,
:06:22. > :06:26.a significant increase on previous years. What's being done to find out
:06:27. > :06:33.exactly what went wrong and to stop it happening again? Well, questions
:06:34. > :06:37.are being asked if this was the result of negligence or
:06:38. > :06:39.incompetence. Inland fisheries Ireland have launched an
:06:40. > :06:44.investigation, they're gathering evidence which they say may lead to
:06:45. > :06:48.a prosecution. ESB itself has described the incident as
:06:49. > :06:52.unfortunate and regrettable and said trapping protocols are beingup dated
:06:53. > :06:57.as a result. The -- being updated as a result. The Culture Minister whose
:06:58. > :07:01.department is responsible for transporting the eels around the dam
:07:02. > :07:05.says this is a significant loss and a setback in conserving eel stocks
:07:06. > :07:07.and she's written to the southern Minister concerned to express her
:07:08. > :07:13.concern. Thank you.
:07:14. > :07:17.A serial conman who tricked victims out of hundreds of pounds by
:07:18. > :07:22.pretending to repair their televisions and washing machines was
:07:23. > :07:26.today jailed for 15 months. Henry Douglas from Lisburn admitted 11
:07:27. > :07:30.charges of fraud, one of theft and one of obstructing a police officer.
:07:31. > :07:33.Our reporter Dan Stanton was in the court.
:07:34. > :07:39.The court was told that Henry Douglas, who is 52 and from Lisburn,
:07:40. > :07:42.would arrive at his customers' address and dismantle appliances. He
:07:43. > :07:48.would then tell them he needed money to get parts but when he left he
:07:49. > :07:53.would never return. The 52-year-old placed adverts in the Yellow Pages
:07:54. > :07:58.and also community newspapers. He claimed to be an expert when he had
:07:59. > :08:02.no qualifications whatsoever. Trading standards say they're still
:08:03. > :08:06.receiving around one complaint a week about Henry Douglas's
:08:07. > :08:11.activities. It's warned people not to hand over money until the job is
:08:12. > :08:16.done. You may be told that I have to go and get an extra part, it's going
:08:17. > :08:19.to cost ?30. We would always advise people never to pay money upfront,
:08:20. > :08:23.wait until the job is complete before handing over money. If that
:08:24. > :08:27.involves the person providing the service to actually go and get the
:08:28. > :08:31.parts himself and get paid after 19 this is what we would advise
:08:32. > :08:34.consumers to do. The court was also told that Douglas showed no remorse
:08:35. > :08:38.before today's appearance in the dock.
:08:39. > :08:42.Sentencing him to 15 months, which included six months for the breach
:08:43. > :08:47.of a suspended sentence for similar offences, the judge told him: You
:08:48. > :08:51.are little less than a determined conman and confidence fraudster who
:08:52. > :09:00.targeted vulnerable people in their hour of need. There's plenty more to
:09:01. > :09:04.come on the programme: There is anger and concern as three much
:09:05. > :09:08.loved birds, Parrotts not much different from this bird, were taken
:09:09. > :09:16.by thieves overnight from one of County Down's tourist attractions.
:09:17. > :09:20.Northern Ireland has the highest number of acquired brain injury
:09:21. > :09:24.cases in the UK. Health professionals say we are we are
:09:25. > :09:26.experiencing -- say we are experiencing a silent epidemic as
:09:27. > :09:30.there are often no obvious signs before the condition has an effect.
:09:31. > :09:33.Local charities say it all proves there needs to be much greater
:09:34. > :09:38.awareness of the potential for damage and the need for more
:09:39. > :09:46.funding. With more, here's our health correspondent.
:09:47. > :09:50.As these former patients know only too well, a brain injury can strike
:09:51. > :09:54.at any time with devastating consequences. My life changed
:09:55. > :09:58.overnight, instantly, in an instant. I woke up from a coma in hospital
:09:59. > :10:07.and I became almost a different person. A keen sportswoman, Lauren
:10:08. > :10:10.required brain surgery after a fall playing roller derby left her
:10:11. > :10:15.unconscious. Days later she woke from a coma. I suffered with
:10:16. > :10:19.depression, anxiety, I couldn't get out of bed at one point for at least
:10:20. > :10:26.a month. I was very low. I didn't understand what had happened. A
:10:27. > :10:30.brain injury can impact on cognitive communication and language skills
:10:31. > :10:37.with problems often emerging years after the trauma.
:10:38. > :10:39.Here at this centre in East Belfast speech and physiotherapists work
:10:40. > :10:43.with around 100 people a week who have suffered a brain injury. With a
:10:44. > :10:48.waiting list, according to the charity, support from the NHS could
:10:49. > :10:54.be much stronger. There's no quick-fix. Consequences are symptoms
:10:55. > :11:00.of brain injury can appear much later after the event. People here,
:11:01. > :11:04.some have fallen through the cracks and are here for long-term support
:11:05. > :11:07.to maximise their independence, their full potential and to improve
:11:08. > :11:12.their positive outcomes and quality of life. And there are calls for
:11:13. > :11:16.extra help for children too. 18 months ago Sarah fractured her skull
:11:17. > :11:20.after a fireplace collapsed on her. While the physical scars have
:11:21. > :11:28.healed, her behaviour has drastically changed. She could kick
:11:29. > :11:32.you and punch you. There's a lot of tantrums. Sarah wasn't like this
:11:33. > :11:37.before the accident? No, definitely wasn't the case before the accident.
:11:38. > :11:41.The school has provided a classroom assistant for an hour a day. But we
:11:42. > :11:46.are still going through the statement process to try and get
:11:47. > :11:51.extra help. According to hospital statistics, compared to the rest of
:11:52. > :11:55.the UK, Northern Ireland has the highest number of people admitted to
:11:56. > :11:59.hospital with a head injury. While there's no explanation why that is,
:12:00. > :12:03.according to some of the charities it's further proof that greater
:12:04. > :12:10.awareness is needed of how to treat what they refer to as the silent
:12:11. > :12:14.epidemic of acquired brain injuries. While Lauren's journey of recovery
:12:15. > :12:21.has begun, for others the future's not so certain.
:12:22. > :12:25.A Downpatrick-based businessman claims pressures imposed by the
:12:26. > :12:28.Ulster Bank tipped his company into insolvency. Brian Polly's company
:12:29. > :12:34.went into administration in 2009 with the loss of over 40 jobs. The
:12:35. > :12:38.BBC Spotlight programme has been investigating allegations that the
:12:39. > :12:46.Ulster Bank forced some viable businesses into bankruptcy to boost
:12:47. > :12:50.its own profits. When the property bubble burst in
:12:51. > :12:54.2008 many companies were in breach of bank loans. Brian Polly, like
:12:55. > :13:01.other Ulster Bank business customers, was put into the global
:13:02. > :13:04.restructuring group or GRG. A vision of the bank designed to get
:13:05. > :13:08.businesses back in shape and at the same time protect the bank's
:13:09. > :13:13.position by minimising further losses. The executive at the bank
:13:14. > :13:18.said that we are putting you into GR, it's a short-term arrangement
:13:19. > :13:23.But his company never emerged from GRG and was placed into
:13:24. > :13:26.administration months later following petitions by creditors, an
:13:27. > :13:29.outcome he claims is due to pressures imposed by the bank. What
:13:30. > :13:33.effect has the loss of your business had on you? It's like letting off a
:13:34. > :13:38.hand grenade in the middle of you, you know, you are completely
:13:39. > :13:43.devastated. I sometimes think was it all my fault? The Government
:13:44. > :13:48.commissioned a report published last year and said there was evidence
:13:49. > :13:53.that RBS, including Ulster Bank's GRG division, deliberately put some
:13:54. > :13:57.viable businesses into default so it could make more profit. Ulster Bank
:13:58. > :14:01.denies the allegations and point to a recent report by the law firm
:14:02. > :14:06.Clifford Chance which found no evidence that the bank engineered
:14:07. > :14:11.defaults. Spotlight made contact with an RBS insider. He worked for a
:14:12. > :14:15.number of years in a GRG division but not Ulster Bank's unit. He
:14:16. > :14:21.claims that GRG targeted some businesses that could have survived.
:14:22. > :14:26.Did you deliberately push businesses into insolvency? Yes, I was directed
:14:27. > :14:32.to destroy viable businesses by the bank and that was my job. I was told
:14:33. > :14:36.to do so. GRG's activities are still the subject of a review by the
:14:37. > :14:43.financial regulator. For Brian Polly the findings will come too late to
:14:44. > :14:47.be of any help. You can see Spotlight here on BBC1
:14:48. > :14:52.after our late news tonight. Boston College is to be sued by four
:14:53. > :14:55.former paramilitaries who contributed to an oral history
:14:56. > :15:01.project of The Troubles. The lead case is being taken by a former IRA
:15:02. > :15:04.man Richard O'Rawe. He is one of about 40 people who gave interviews
:15:05. > :15:08.on the understanding that their testimony would not be released
:15:09. > :15:13.until after they had died. Last year, the PSNI gained access through
:15:14. > :15:15.the courts to some of the project's material while investigating the
:15:16. > :15:20.murder of Jean McConville. The police have confirmed
:15:21. > :15:22.their investigation into a BBC Panorama programme
:15:23. > :15:25.on the activities of the Military Action Force hasn't
:15:26. > :15:28.found any admission of criminality In the programme,
:15:29. > :15:33.which was broadcast last year, members of a secret army undercover
:15:34. > :15:39.unit that operated in Belfast in the 1970s admitted
:15:40. > :15:41.that the group had shot and killed
:15:42. > :15:43.unarmed civilians. The police said
:15:44. > :15:46.the programme will form part of a Historical Enquiries Team review
:15:47. > :15:50.into all deaths linked to soldiers. The solicitor representing the
:15:51. > :15:54.families of those killed says he doesn't believe
:15:55. > :16:10.that the police carried out The Directors of Public Health
:16:11. > :16:15.persecutions himself requested an investigation. Here we are today
:16:16. > :16:21.with a letter from a juicy outlining that review has been completed. It
:16:22. > :16:23.does not appear these soldiers have been identified. I have spoken to
:16:24. > :16:30.people involved in the programme. A 55-year-old Belfast man
:16:31. > :16:31.has appeared at the Special Criminal
:16:32. > :16:33.Court in Dublin, after a car bomb was found
:16:34. > :16:36.at the weekend. Samuel Devlin, whose address was
:16:37. > :16:38.given as the Finnstown Hotel in Lucan, where the bomb was found,
:16:39. > :16:41.is charged with membership of an unlawful
:16:42. > :16:43.organisation, The Princess Royal has helped launch
:16:44. > :16:48.a plan for a new wood, to commemorate the centenary of
:16:49. > :16:52.the start of the First World War. The Princess Royal has helped launch
:16:53. > :16:55.a plan for a new wood, to commemorate the centenary of
:16:56. > :16:58.the start of the First World War. The 53 acres in the Faughan Valley
:16:59. > :17:02.in County Londonderry will be one of four memorial woods
:17:03. > :17:06.planted by the Woodland Trust. Members of the public will be
:17:07. > :17:08.encouraged to plant a tree Pet shops and dealers have been
:17:09. > :17:21.asked to keep a lookout for three rare birds stolen
:17:22. > :17:24.from the Tropical Butterfly House It's though the parrots might not
:17:25. > :17:29.survive the colder conditions outside their home.
:17:30. > :17:38.Will Leitch reports. It is famous for its butterflies,
:17:39. > :17:47.housing several tropical greenhouses with one especially for these.
:17:48. > :17:51.Outside, the peacocks strut in the sunshine. Inside, the exotic birds,
:17:52. > :17:57.at least those left. Thieves broke in at the weekend in the latest
:17:58. > :18:02.attack on this attraction. These cages used to house three of the
:18:03. > :18:08.most popular birds. They delighted local children by chattering. Now,
:18:09. > :18:15.Jack, Harry and Pedro had been stolen. Their owner says they are in
:18:16. > :18:20.danger. The birds word to African grey Sowell, and an Amazonian. It is
:18:21. > :18:24.thought that these will try to sell them but may not know how to care
:18:25. > :18:29.for them. All three were given to me and I promised to look after them
:18:30. > :18:35.for ever. We loved them, the public love them. I knew all their
:18:36. > :18:41.idiosyncrasies. Parrots are tricky. I hope they are still alive. They
:18:42. > :18:48.can die from shock. The fact they were bundled into a sack... I hope
:18:49. > :18:52.they are being kept warm, and said. I do hope someone will give them
:18:53. > :18:57.back to us. If they could ruin somebody and say they have left them
:18:58. > :19:03.somewhere, I would be thrilled. This is not the first theft, four
:19:04. > :19:07.years ago, these went to the centre of the maze in the gardens at
:19:08. > :19:11.Seaforde and removed a bronze structure bolted to a concrete base,
:19:12. > :19:15.worth several thousand pounds. It has yet to be found.
:19:16. > :19:17.It's been practice day at the NorthWest 200.
:19:18. > :19:29.Stephen Watson is on the north coast for BBC Newsline.
:19:30. > :19:40.The opening practice sessions have been marred by a serious crash in
:19:41. > :19:47.the very last qualifying session. The 31-year-old French rider making
:19:48. > :19:53.his debut in the North West 200. He was treated at the scene by doctors,
:19:54. > :19:57.and transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital by helicopter. The
:19:58. > :20:05.latest on his condition is he is critical but stable. We are told his
:20:06. > :20:09.injuries are not life-threatening. Philip, when an incident like this
:20:10. > :20:17.happens, it does put a dampener on the event. It rings us back to
:20:18. > :20:22.reality. It has put a damper on the event. Unfortunately, in the sport,
:20:23. > :20:31.we know accidents will happen. Thankfully, this wasn't a fatal
:20:32. > :20:38.accident. The support is fully behind this rider and his family. It
:20:39. > :20:42.will be practice again on Thursday. Speaking to the race director,
:20:43. > :20:47.without doubt, the safety measures they have taken at that part of the
:20:48. > :20:58.course undoubtedly saved this Frenchman's life. He had a slight,
:20:59. > :21:06.we are not sure why. The impact bales helped to absorb the shock. It
:21:07. > :21:12.is probably what saved his life. Safety is paramount of the most
:21:13. > :21:18.important thing. They have done a super job here. The course is in
:21:19. > :21:23.superb condition. They have put protection anywhere where anything
:21:24. > :21:27.can happen. And in Dishman, Scotsman, Northern Irishman and
:21:28. > :21:40.Austrian grabbed the headlines in qualifying. William Dunlop was
:21:41. > :21:48.quickest in the super sport qualifying. A local and
:21:49. > :21:53.international appeals to this event. Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers
:21:54. > :21:55.has been named Manager Of The Year at the League Managers
:21:56. > :21:57.Association Awards. Rodgers, from Carnlough,
:21:58. > :22:00.was honoured last night in London, after he led the Reds
:22:01. > :22:02.to second place which was the club's
:22:03. > :22:06.highest finish in five years. The award is voted for by all LMA
:22:07. > :22:09.members, including every manager from the top four professional
:22:10. > :22:11.divisions in English football. Ulster coach Mark Anscombe confirmed
:22:12. > :22:14.today that Nick Williams will be out for six to eight weeks and so,
:22:15. > :22:18.effectively, his season is over. Williams injured his knee
:22:19. > :22:20.in the win away to Munster, and will play
:22:21. > :22:23.no further part in this campaign. But the coach is optimistic
:22:24. > :22:26.that Rory Best and Ruan Pienaar will feature
:22:27. > :22:42.in Ulster's Rabo Pro semi-final, That's it from the north coast.
:22:43. > :22:45.Later on, we will have an update on the crash today at the NorthWest
:22:46. > :22:52.200. Time now for the weather.
:22:53. > :23:03.Here's Cecilia Daly. We have had heavy showers today but
:23:04. > :23:08.they've managed to stay clear of the north coast. As a result, it was a
:23:09. > :23:14.lovely, sunny day. There are still if few showers lingering. We have a
:23:15. > :23:20.couple of pictures from our viewers who were out and about in
:23:21. > :23:24.Portstewart. Hopefully, it will stay settled. The showers at the moment
:23:25. > :23:31.will ease away this evening. It will be dry tonight. It could get chilly
:23:32. > :23:36.for a while. The clouds will move in from the Atlantic bringing some damp
:23:37. > :23:39.weather tomorrow. A different feel to the day tomorrow. No heavy
:23:40. > :23:47.showers, some early brightness first thing. But cloudier skies will feed
:23:48. > :23:51.in from the west during the rush hour. Nothing too heavy but it will
:23:52. > :24:02.mean a damp start to the day especially across northern and
:24:03. > :24:06.western areas. Parts of the country could get away with a dry day but
:24:07. > :24:11.most places will be damp until lunchtime, then easing off.
:24:12. > :24:16.Temperatures, despite the cloud, will still be around 15 degrees. The
:24:17. > :24:21.Balmoral show kicks off tomorrow. A little bit of rain for a time. But
:24:22. > :24:26.Thursday and Friday are looking decent. Thursday, and lots of dry
:24:27. > :24:35.weather, temperatures up to 18 degrees. Very nice indeed. Things do
:24:36. > :24:40.start to deteriorate towards the weekend. Friday should stay dry but,
:24:41. > :24:45.unfortunately, a weather front is creeping in from the Atlantic at the
:24:46. > :24:50.weekend. High pressure keeps things settled through Thursday and
:24:51. > :24:54.Friday. A little bit of dampness in the North West on Friday night, then
:24:55. > :24:58.weather fronts moving on Saturday. Through the weekend, that could
:24:59. > :25:04.bring some wet and windy conditions which could affect the North West.
:25:05. > :25:11.Still some uncertainty over the timing.
:25:12. > :25:16.The former First Minister David Trimble has said he was shocked and
:25:17. > :25:20.hurt when he heard about the on the run letters.
:25:21. > :25:30.You can also keep in contact with us via Facebook and Twitter.