:00:09. > :00:11.Bombers who attacked a hotel in Londonderry last night have been
:00:12. > :00:13.called cowards by the local police commander.
:00:14. > :00:17.He also said staff at the Everglades undoubtedly saved lives with their
:00:18. > :00:21.quick response when a fire bomb was thrown into the reception area.
:00:22. > :00:24.Here's our North-West reporter, Keiron Tourish.
:00:25. > :00:36.A masked man left a holdall containing the device
:00:37. > :00:42.In the foyer of the Everglades Hotel. He said he was from the eye
:00:43. > :00:49.are and shouted a 40 minute warning. Staff to the building of people as
:00:50. > :00:52.Army bomb experts arrived. As an officer was dealing with the
:00:53. > :00:57.firebomb, it exploded into flames at two a.m..
:00:58. > :00:59.I say this to them, they are cowards.
:01:00. > :01:03.It was a reckless, dangerous attack that put innocent lives in danger.
:01:04. > :01:06.When you attack one person in this city, you attack us all.
:01:07. > :01:08.Guests involved in the drama paid tribute to
:01:09. > :01:17.It's amazing they got everyone out and I am glad they did.
:01:18. > :01:20.If they had not given the warning when the guy put
:01:21. > :01:24.a bag down and if he had not said anything, it could have been
:01:25. > :01:28.Northern Ireland needs employment, money, confidence.
:01:29. > :01:31.This sort of thing is likely to knock that, but I hope not.
:01:32. > :01:35.I don't think it can change a thing, I don't understand what their motive
:01:36. > :01:40.is. One dissident republican supporter
:01:41. > :01:42.recently elected to the new Derry and Strabane Council,
:01:43. > :01:45.who was attending a protest outside the courthouse this morning,
:01:46. > :01:47.refused to offer any condemnation. You know,
:01:48. > :01:49.the politics of condemnation will What I will condemn is the scenario
:01:50. > :01:54.that has made people feel the need to carry out actions such as this.
:01:55. > :01:57.Do you justify it? No, nor will I run out
:01:58. > :01:59.to condemn the people. Other political parties
:02:00. > :02:01.were scathing. Like everyone else I am appalled
:02:02. > :02:04.by this, this is a throwback to These people have to understand
:02:05. > :02:09.this is not going to work. It did not work then, it will not
:02:10. > :02:22.now and will not in the future. Ironic that the Northern Ireland's
:02:23. > :02:26.tourism awards were going on in Belfast and the city won a number of
:02:27. > :02:31.wards in connection with city and culture and at the same time some
:02:32. > :02:32.mindless people were throwing a firebomb into a hotel.
:02:33. > :02:40.a place looking to the future and would not be held back
:02:41. > :02:42.The police say they have devoted a considerable amount
:02:43. > :02:45.of resources in trying to track down those responsible for this bombing.
:02:46. > :02:48.It is understood up to 40 detectives are now actively working
:02:49. > :02:52.Those detectives have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
:02:53. > :02:54.The Police Ombudsman is investigating the death
:02:55. > :02:57.of a 28-year-old man in a cell at Lisburn Police Station.
:02:58. > :02:59.David McGowan, who was from Lisburn, had been arrested after
:03:00. > :03:03.an incident on the Beersbridge Road in east Belfast late last night.
:03:04. > :03:05.Officers took him to Lisburn Police Station, but he died
:03:06. > :03:26.A four-month-old baby and an elderly couple were among nine
:03:27. > :03:30.an arson attack in Downpatrick in the early hours of this morning.
:03:31. > :03:33.It happened at a block of flats on Saul Street,
:03:34. > :03:36.Safe in the arms of her grandmother, just hours
:03:37. > :03:42.A bin in a hallway set on fire and pushed against a door of one
:03:43. > :03:45.of the flats. The damage clear to see.
:03:46. > :03:50.During what relatives described to me as a terrifying experience, there
:03:51. > :03:55.were efforts to get people out of the window last night. A policeman
:03:56. > :04:01.who arrived soon after the alarm was raised at to smash a window to get
:04:02. > :04:05.the man out, and above, the young baby's mother and her partner had to
:04:06. > :04:08.make their way through thick smoke to get to safety.
:04:09. > :04:10.The child was taken to hospital for tests
:04:11. > :04:13.but was soon back with relieved relatives, happy and doing well.
:04:14. > :04:19.When I walked into the hall and saw all the flames,
:04:20. > :04:24.Whatever was there exploded and my door blew off.
:04:25. > :04:28.I live in the very top flat and I could not get out through the smoke,
:04:29. > :04:31.I had to wait for firemen to come up and get me.
:04:32. > :04:33.Support came today from throughout the community.
:04:34. > :04:36.The society we live in at the moment, this is symptomatic
:04:37. > :04:40.of it, with parental control and so on, it has got out of hand.
:04:41. > :04:45.I feel that, you know, it is terribly sad and that we live in
:04:46. > :04:50.-- sign of can happen.
:04:51. > :04:53.As investigations continue, there is relief there was no loss
:04:54. > :04:59.The new Chief Constable designate, George Hamilton,
:05:00. > :05:02.has been speaking about his hopes for the future in his new role.
:05:03. > :05:06.He says the PSNI needs the support of all of the community
:05:07. > :05:13.It was all smiles from the man soon to take
:05:14. > :05:22.on what's regarded as one of the most difficult jobs in UK policing.
:05:23. > :05:28.George Hamilton described it as a challenge and an honour. I care
:05:29. > :05:31.passionately about this place. I have a stake in it,
:05:32. > :05:33.I have family there. I have lived here for most
:05:34. > :05:36.of my life and I believe it is important that
:05:37. > :05:39.we all work together and everyone makes the contribution they can to
:05:40. > :06:00.make Northern Ireland a better place the police service to deliver that
:06:01. > :06:03.in isolation. Therefore we will be seeking to do
:06:04. > :06:07.that under my leadership with communities, in partnership with
:06:08. > :06:10.PCSPs, the policing board, other structures that were put in
:06:11. > :06:16.place as the building blocks of the Peter Robinson was heavily
:06:17. > :06:30.criticised for voicing support for Pastor James McConnell's
:06:31. > :06:32.comments about results. I asked him if he believed political
:06:33. > :06:42.leaders have a role to play when we take the hate crime issue
:06:43. > :06:47.very seriously and we want to work with committees and minority groups
:06:48. > :06:51.to tackle that. As for the politicians, of course they have a
:06:52. > :06:58.responsibility to give literature, to create the legislative framework
:06:59. > :07:03.in which we operate and to show that the at community level that helps
:07:04. > :07:08.reduce tension rather than razor. -- that leadership at community level
:07:09. > :07:12.that helps reduce tension rather than raise it.
:07:13. > :07:16.He will take over as Matt Baggot steps down over the summer.
:07:17. > :07:17.Our next story contains some graphic images,
:07:18. > :07:23.Two men accused of setting a pet dog on fire are to face trial.
:07:24. > :07:25.A judge refused an application today to dismiss
:07:26. > :07:27.the animal cruelty charge against 22-year-olds Jamie Downey and
:07:28. > :07:31.The attack on a three-year-old collie called Cody took place
:07:32. > :07:36.The animal had to be put down a week after the attack.
:07:37. > :07:39.Both men pleaded not guilty to causing unnecessary suffering and
:07:40. > :07:43.It was confirmed last night by Republic of Ireland boss
:07:44. > :07:46.Martin O'Neill that Celtic had asked for permission to speak to
:07:47. > :07:48.his assistant Roy Keane about their vacant manager's job.
:07:49. > :07:53.And today, Celtic confirmed that informal contact had been made.
:07:54. > :07:56.The club's chief executive, who was in Belfast this evening visiting
:07:57. > :08:03.a supporters' club, said Keane was one of several candidates.
:08:04. > :08:11.No leading candidate at the moment. Martin was accurate last night, we
:08:12. > :08:15.have asked permission to talk to Roy. There was a brief informal chat
:08:16. > :08:21.between Dermott android and now we are going to sit down, have a think
:08:22. > :08:24.and see where we go next. Now for a look at what
:08:25. > :08:33.the weekend's weather has in store. It has been a lovely day across
:08:34. > :08:39.Northern Ireland. Tonight we could see temperatures dip down to four or
:08:40. > :08:43.5 degrees, a little more miles than that where the cloud persists but
:08:44. > :08:49.tomorrow is a cracking day on the cards. Dry and warm, a little cloud
:08:50. > :08:53.around but where are the breaks appear, it will be very nice. That
:08:54. > :08:59.will really help the temperatures on the rise. What is causing all this
:09:00. > :09:04.is this high pressure system, protecting us through the day,
:09:05. > :09:10.meaning we have nice light freezes and temperatures across the UK and
:09:11. > :09:14.Ireland will feel very respectable. 20 degrees quite widely across both
:09:15. > :09:20.the South of England and Ireland, north and south. A very nice day,
:09:21. > :09:25.plenty of breaks in that cloud and where you see one of those, a very
:09:26. > :09:33.nice afternoon. Make the most of it, because those high temperatures of
:09:34. > :09:39.19, 20 degrees were a lot persist. We have a change coming in Saturday,
:09:40. > :09:43.to Sunday, that rain starts to work its way in, signalling a shift in
:09:44. > :09:48.our weather. We get more at Lamprecht low pressure working its
:09:49. > :09:53.way in from the west, so make the most of Saturday because it's all a
:09:54. > :09:58.bit unsettled by the time we get into next week. That's it for now.
:09:59. > :10:01.You can keep up to date with News Online and follow this