0:00:00 > 0:00:01Have a very good night.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11A woman says she's lucky to be alive after escaping a house fire
0:00:11 > 0:00:14in Armagh by jumping out of a first-floor window.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Neighbours ran to her aid as the blaze spread through her home
0:00:17 > 0:00:19in Navan Court last night.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21David Maxwell reports.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24A home destroyed by fire.
0:00:24 > 0:00:29The charred remains of furniture show how serious this blaze was.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Inside, one woman in her 50s.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35The blaze started some time after 8pm - it spread so quickly
0:00:35 > 0:00:39the woman couldn't escape through the front or back doors.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Forcing her to call for help from upstairs.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46I have spoken to a man who lives in the adjoining house
0:00:46 > 0:00:49and he described hearing the smoke alarm and seeing smoke coming out
0:00:49 > 0:00:51of this home yesterday evening.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54He came out here with another man to find a woman calling for help
0:00:54 > 0:00:56from an upstairs window.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01They coaxed her out of the window and as the ground floor was engulfed
0:01:01 > 0:01:04in flames, eventually she jumped and they caught her.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07She suffered only minor injuries and today she didn't want to appear
0:01:07 > 0:01:13on camera, but she says she feels lucky to be alive.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15The Fire Service arrived after the woman had escaped
0:01:15 > 0:01:17from the burning house.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Around 20 firefighters brought the blaze under control
0:01:20 > 0:01:23within about an hour.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27There was a busy scene whenever the crews arrived.
0:01:27 > 0:01:35They made sure that everyone was safe.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38It is quite an extensive fire, the first floor of the property.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Thankfully the smoke alarm was activated and that alerted
0:01:41 > 0:01:43the lady and the neighbours.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45It is thought the fire started accidentally.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48The Fire Service says it shows the importance of having
0:01:48 > 0:01:50a working smoke detector.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Without one, it says, the outcome here could have
0:01:54 > 0:01:58been very different.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01A 54-year-old man arrested in connection with the murders
0:02:01 > 0:02:06of two police officers at a bar in Belfast nearly 30 years ago has
0:02:06 > 0:02:09been released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Detective Constables Michael Malone and Ernest Carson were shot
0:02:12 > 0:02:15in an IRA gun attack at the Liverpool Bar
0:02:15 > 0:02:20in Donegall Quay in August 1987.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23The police have defended their use of a CS spray at a junior Orange
0:02:23 > 0:02:25parade in South Belfast last night - but they've apologised
0:02:25 > 0:02:28to the families of any children who were affected.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31There were minor scuffles on the Ormeau Road as bandsmen
0:02:31 > 0:02:33returned after a parade in Carrickfergus.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36The police say that two officers were slightly injured.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Mervyn Jess reports.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44This is the band at the centre of the CS spray controversy,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48which happened during the return leg of yesterday's junior Orange parade
0:02:48 > 0:02:50along the Ormeau Road.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53The South Belfast Young Conquerors was one of several bands who'd
0:02:53 > 0:02:56earlier taken part in the junior Orange Easter Tuesday
0:02:56 > 0:02:58parade in Carrickfergus.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02The PSNI say some bandsmen started weaving in and out of parked
0:03:02 > 0:03:06or passing vehicles along the Ormeau Road.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09A police officer tried to stop them, brushing up against the vehicles
0:03:09 > 0:03:11by nudging them over to one side of the road.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15The parade organisers say the bandsmen were pushed.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18This CS spray incident happened as the parade was passing along this
0:03:18 > 0:03:20section of the Ormeau road.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Just a few hundred yards away from Ballynafeigh Orange Hall
0:03:24 > 0:03:26where it was coming to an end.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29It was then that scuffles broke out between some bandsmen and the two
0:03:29 > 0:03:32officers policing the parade.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34The police have been accused of overreacting
0:03:34 > 0:03:36in the circumstances.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40I think if you are in a position where there are two officers
0:03:40 > 0:03:43on their own surrounded by a number of individuals who are threatening
0:03:43 > 0:03:45violence on them, I think you would be concerned
0:03:45 > 0:03:47for your own safety.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50The officers warned them verbally, drew a baton to try to create
0:03:50 > 0:03:52distance and space and then eventually had to use CS spray
0:03:52 > 0:03:56because of the threats that were being posed.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Officers did not set up to do that at the start of a shift,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02or ever intend or hope to do it, but it had to be used
0:04:02 > 0:04:03in the circumstances.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06A statement on the band's website said...
0:04:15 > 0:04:18You see young children traumatised by a poor decision a police officer
0:04:18 > 0:04:21made and the events that flowed from that decision,
0:04:21 > 0:04:22it was quite shocking to see.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25I think the police officer needed to make a decision in the context
0:04:25 > 0:04:29that this was a children's parade, that if he was going to take actions
0:04:29 > 0:04:32where he started to push people, would there be an incident occuring
0:04:32 > 0:04:34where children would be put in danger and that is
0:04:34 > 0:04:35what I think happened.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38A mother who claimed her 12-year-old son who was in the band was directly
0:04:38 > 0:04:41affected by the CS spray has been urged by unionist politicians
0:04:41 > 0:04:44to contact the Police Ombudsman.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46He's the first rank of that band.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49When the police came in and he got hit directly in the face
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and he was left screaming in pain.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54They say that parade was too close to cars.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Does that warrant, does that justify my son getting CS spray
0:04:57 > 0:04:58in his face?
0:04:58 > 0:05:06He is 12 years old and he wasn't near a car, why spray my child?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08I've heard in particular parents saying that their children
0:05:08 > 0:05:10were directly sprayed.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11In terms of what might officers are telling me,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13obviously there will be investigations into it,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17so I think we need to give those the time and space to report,
0:05:17 > 0:05:23there were no children attacking police and CS spray is an offensive
0:05:23 > 0:05:25tool to create space and stopping an assault taking place,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27there were no children involved in assaulting police,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30there is always a possibility of particles getting into children's
0:05:30 > 0:05:33eyes and for that we are deeply regretful, we did not intend that
0:05:33 > 0:05:34and we apologise.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36However the core responsibility is on those who attacked police
0:05:36 > 0:05:37officers.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Ballynafeigh District has always had a positive relationship with police.
0:05:40 > 0:05:48If the police have a problem with our parades, say,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51and ask us to sort the problem out order to address the problem
0:05:51 > 0:05:53and we are quite willing to do that.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I would hope that those positive relationships continue
0:05:55 > 0:05:56in the future.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58The CS spray incident is now the subject of an investigation
0:05:58 > 0:05:59by the Police Ombudsman.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03A majority of the local businesses who pay for their water will face no
0:06:03 > 0:06:05increase in price tariffs over the next 12 months.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Northern Ireland Water says the move has been made possible
0:06:07 > 0:06:08by efficiency savings.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Here's our business correspondent Julian O'Neill.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15About 80,000 non-domestic customers pay for water and a freeze
0:06:15 > 0:06:22in charges from April will apply to about 90% of them.
0:06:22 > 0:06:28Northern Ireland Water has made savings of ?65 million in recent
0:06:28 > 0:06:32years and it says businesses are feeling the benefit.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34We have continued to focus on the efficiency of
0:06:34 > 0:06:35Northern Ireland Water, so we
0:06:35 > 0:06:37have been continuallly taking our cost base down,
0:06:37 > 0:06:47we have improved our services while we've been doing that.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49back into our tariffs for the coming year.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50That is what has made it possible.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53It is worth remembering this is a freeze on tarrifs which did
0:06:53 > 0:06:56increase last year because of a big hike on Northern Ireland
0:06:56 > 0:06:57Water's rates bill.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00The company does consult on its charging tariffs and this
0:07:00 > 0:07:05price freeze has been described as an appropriate move.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08We work closely with Northern Ireland Water
0:07:08 > 0:07:10and its tariffs, making sure that customers are getting value
0:07:10 > 0:07:13for money and that they are getting services that they pay for.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16A price reduction would be even better but on balance the price
0:07:16 > 0:07:19freeze looks about right.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21But there are circumstances in which some bills will rise.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Trade effluent charges will jump by nearly 3%.
0:07:24 > 0:07:31This will cover 500 customers - for example, manufacturing
0:07:31 > 0:07:34businesses and hospitals.
0:07:34 > 0:07:40Customers who don't have meters get bills based on rates,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43and because there was a revaluation recently changes
0:07:43 > 0:07:44will have a knock-on impact.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47About 10,000 customers are billed this way.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52Northern Ireland Water says it will continue to drive
0:07:52 > 0:07:53down its cost base.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Further reductions are built into its business plan in the next
0:07:56 > 0:08:05four years and this may continue to be reflected in prices.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08One in five homes in Northern Ireland is rented
0:08:08 > 0:08:09from a private landlord.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13The rules that govern the rental market are changing -
0:08:13 > 0:08:16so much so that there are concerns it could push up
0:08:16 > 0:08:17the price of renting.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Colletta Smith reports.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21It used to be just for students.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23But not anymore.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27150,000 homes in Northern Ireland are now rented from a private
0:08:27 > 0:08:29landlord.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34Homes like this one.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Good afternoon. Nice to meet you. Can I show you around this lovely
0:08:37 > 0:08:45property? Follow me. We will start off in the living room.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46Follow me.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48We will start off in the living room.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49Good spacious room.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51You are expecting a family?
0:08:51 > 0:08:56Yes, I think we are seeing a broad range of tenants.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59We're not seeing a specific type, it is young people, older people
0:08:59 > 0:09:05and families and couples, so it is a very mixed bag of tenants
0:09:05 > 0:09:06we are getting now.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07Have prices gone up in recent years?
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Rental prices have gone up.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14On average perhaps maybe five or 10% on a yearly basis, so it has
0:09:14 > 0:09:16gone up considerably.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20It reflects the demand.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22The latest results from the Rental Index show
0:09:22 > 0:09:27that the average price here is ?550 a month, in Belfast that
0:09:27 > 0:09:32average goes up to ?595, and 40% of tenants are in
0:09:32 > 0:09:36three-bedroom homes.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41For some, the cost of renting a home in the private sector is a concern.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44One of the big problems is affordability.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47And that's not just about paying a deposit and paying rent
0:09:47 > 0:09:49in advance, there's also letting fees.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52And letting fees are in no way regulated in Northern Ireland It is
0:09:52 > 0:10:02a substantial barrier.
0:10:03 > 0:10:09It is a time that it is the only option for many people
0:10:09 > 0:10:11because social housing just is not there.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Whether through choice or necessity, more people are renting
0:10:13 > 0:10:14than ever before.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17But in two days' time landlords will have to pay more in stamp duty.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20The Bank of England wants to limit the amount of money buy-to-let
0:10:20 > 0:10:21landlords can borrow.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23And the Department of Social Development
0:10:23 > 0:10:24is considering
0:10:24 > 0:10:25changing those rules about private rent.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28If this triple-whammy of new rules and costs puts some landlords off,
0:10:28 > 0:10:32that will push rental prices up.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37The challenge of government is to create a regulated framework
0:10:37 > 0:10:42so they are providing good quality attractive homes coupled with a very
0:10:42 > 0:10:45professional and cost effective management structure.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Regulating landlords without scaring them off will be a difficult
0:10:48 > 0:10:55tightrope to walk.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57To sport now and in rugby, Ulster's Ireland internationals
0:10:57 > 0:11:00are expected to return for this Friday's Pro12 showdown with leaders
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Connaght in Belfast.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Ulster are fifth in the table with four games to go,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08and realistically need to win to reach the play-offs.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Winger Andrew Trimble says it's time for the team to deliver.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16We have put ourselves in the corner and we have to come out fighting.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20I have every confidence that that will bring the best out of us.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23It will bring us at our physical best, our intensity levels will be
0:11:23 > 0:11:27up there where we have been on big European nights and this is the best
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Connaght side there has been in a long time.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33The best side in the league this year.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35They will be a handful.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38We have had to do a lot of work them.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41All that homework goes out the window.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45You go out on the pitch and try and give them a hard time
0:11:45 > 0:11:49and that is what I hope we will do.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Time for check on the weather forecast now, here's Geoff Maskell.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52Hello, good evening.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55It has been a mixed day of sunshine and showers today,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57with more of the same to come tomorrow.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Overnight any of those remaining showers will largely fizzle out,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02but under the clear skies temperatures will drop away.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04In some rural areas we could see minus two minus three.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08The chance of a bit of mist and fog by dawn on Thursday.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11But after that chilly start, once the sun gets to work it
0:12:11 > 0:12:13will burn away quite quickly.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16And then we are actually in for rather a nice day.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20In fact if we take the wider view across the whole of the UK
0:12:20 > 0:12:23and Ireland, you could see that wherever you are it's going to be
0:12:23 > 0:12:24a pretty nice day.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Across London and the south-east, we'll see temperatures comfortably
0:12:26 > 0:12:28up into double figures, 12, 13 Celsius there.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Not quite so warm for Northern Ireland.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32A few showers popping up through the day.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35But we should comfortably get up into double figures as we go
0:12:35 > 0:12:37through the afternoon and there will be plenty of bright
0:12:37 > 0:12:39or sunny spells to end the day.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Do make the most of it, because if March goes out
0:12:41 > 0:12:44with plenty of sunshine, April comes in with plenty of rain
0:12:44 > 0:12:48and it is all down to this weather front that's gradually
0:12:48 > 0:12:52working its way in from the Atlantic overnight Thursday and
0:12:52 > 0:12:54into Friday morning.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56It really does dampen things down.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01That rain stays with us pretty much all the way through Friday.
0:13:01 > 0:13:02Some stronger winds as well.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Pretty miserable under all the cloud.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08So, make the most of tomorrow, it's the last of the bright days
0:13:08 > 0:13:11to end March.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13For Friday and Saturday, a much damper picture.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Things will gradually start to clear up as we go
0:13:15 > 0:13:17through the day on Saturday.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Improving through Sunday and into the start of next week.
0:13:20 > 0:13:21That's it for now.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Our next BBC Newsline is at 6:25am in the morning during
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Breakfast here on BBC One.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27You can also keep updated with News Online.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Goodnight.