:00:07. > :00:12.The Boxing Day sales in Belfast have attracted the usual large crowds.
:00:13. > :00:14.There were queues outside some shops in the city centre.
:00:15. > :00:18.And despite the bitterly cold feel and the growth of online retailing,
:00:19. > :00:21.the streets were still awash with bargain hunters trying
:00:22. > :00:34.Normally just looking for a really good deal like half-price. Last year
:00:35. > :00:40.I got a brilliant deal on handbags so it is worth it. Do you find the
:00:41. > :00:43.deals are better in the shops done online? Definitely, it means you can
:00:44. > :00:48.try them on as well so it is quite good. Did you start early today? I
:00:49. > :00:54.left my house is about eight o'clock. As online not done away
:00:55. > :00:56.with that sort of thing? No, you have to get out!
:00:57. > :00:59.The gritters have been out as usual this winter but have you ever
:01:00. > :01:01.wondered where the road salt comes from?
:01:02. > :01:02.Our North East Reporter Sara Girvin went underground
:01:03. > :01:06.Deep below Carrickfergus lies the only salt mine
:01:07. > :01:14.Rock salt has been drilled, cut, blasted and crushed here since 1965,
:01:15. > :01:17.but the site is much much older than that.
:01:18. > :01:22.Basically, we are mining out an ancient, dried out salt bed.
:01:23. > :01:26.It was formed back in the Triassic period about 200 million years ago.
:01:27. > :01:29.The mine operates all year with people permanently below
:01:30. > :01:33.the surface, stockpiling rock salt for winter.
:01:34. > :01:38.We are now 400 metres below the ground and that is
:01:39. > :01:41.greater than the height of the Empire State Building.
:01:42. > :01:46.Now, every year, half a million tonnes of salt are brought
:01:47. > :01:51.from the depths of this mind to the surface and are now sent
:01:52. > :01:55.all over the UK and as far as the United States to grit roads.
:01:56. > :01:58.One of the mine's biggest customers is the Department of infrastructure.
:01:59. > :02:03.It spends up to ?2 million on salt every year.
:02:04. > :02:06.We know this time of year, weather conditions can make driving
:02:07. > :02:14.We know if it is wet weather, for example, your braking distances
:02:15. > :02:19.twice as far and icy conditions, maybe ten times as fast
:02:20. > :02:24.so the messages it is great we have salt and could take these measures
:02:25. > :02:26.but drivers have to take that bit of extra care themselves.
:02:27. > :02:30.Tonnes of salt will leave here bound for Northern Ireland's wrote
:02:31. > :02:36.And with sub-zero temperatures expected tonight it looks
:02:37. > :02:39.like we'll be needing the salt on the roads again.
:02:40. > :02:41.We'll have a full forecast in a few minutes.
:02:42. > :02:44.It was a year of fluffy squirrels, biblical plagues and killer insects
:02:45. > :02:46.as the environment continued to delight and surprise
:02:47. > :02:54.Our Agriculture and Environment Correspondent Conor Macauley has
:02:55. > :02:57.been looking back at some of his favourite animal
:02:58. > :03:02.Huge amounts of work have gone into putting the red squirrel back,
:03:03. > :03:05.so the news of the pox outbreak near one of its strongholds
:03:06. > :03:14.But when we went to check on the reds of Dudley
:03:15. > :03:16.more Forest weeks later, all was, if you will pardon the pun,
:03:17. > :03:21.The disease had and take hold, the Reds were in good shape
:03:22. > :03:23.and the volunteers who care for them were mightily relieved.
:03:24. > :03:27.We haven't seen the same effect as in 2009.
:03:28. > :03:34.From red to green and in August, there was a plague of
:03:35. > :03:36.biblical proportions in a Belfast housing estate.
:03:37. > :03:39.Tens of thousands of caterpillars munching their way through these ash
:03:40. > :03:48.All a bit disconcerting for the families nearby.
:03:49. > :03:51.They turned out to be ash larvae and the infestation was put
:03:52. > :04:00.If you listen really closely, you can actually hear the larvae
:04:01. > :04:04.The problem is you are so close that they are constantly
:04:05. > :04:07.Not many people keep seals in their backyard,
:04:08. > :04:09.but Sue Wilson has been saving stranded pups for years.
:04:10. > :04:14.These had been washed up underweight, a certain death
:04:15. > :04:19.sentence, but for the fact that soon had intervened.
:04:20. > :04:22.But after seven weeks of hand rearing, there is an inevitable bond
:04:23. > :04:25.that is hard to break and it took the arrival of inquisitive adults
:04:26. > :04:28.to persuade the reluctant return that it was time to leave
:04:29. > :04:40.And finally, Fluff the baby barn owl was probably the feisty is feathered
:04:41. > :04:43.I can get a hold, not particularly difficult.
:04:44. > :04:45.If it gets a hold of me, much more difficult.
:04:46. > :04:51.Not happy to be ringed and recorded as part of conservation programme.
:04:52. > :04:55.Even when we finished, she was still fighting and the Ringo
:04:56. > :04:59.was happy to get rid of this awkward little owl with his
:05:00. > :05:11.Football now, and it's been a busy day in the Irish Premiership,
:05:12. > :05:15.with wins for Ballymena United, Dungannon Swifts and league leaders
:05:16. > :05:18.Crusaders, while Carrick Rangers drew 1-1 with Ards, and it was 2-2
:05:19. > :05:31.The Boxing Day big two derby between Linfield and Glentoran
:05:32. > :05:34.And there are more details on the website ? bbc.co.uk/sport
:05:35. > :05:46.Well, after all the excitement of Christmas the weather is settling
:05:47. > :06:05.Because of the clearest skies an icy temperatures will drop away. The
:06:06. > :06:11.winds have been easing through Boxing Day. It has been down to this
:06:12. > :06:14.area of high pressure building in. That is settling down our weather
:06:15. > :06:20.through this Christmas week. Tomorrow will be a very nice day.
:06:21. > :06:23.Start off cold with a widespread frost across Northern Ireland but
:06:24. > :06:29.then plenty of winter sunshine around through the day. A big change
:06:30. > :06:36.in the breeze. Much later winds tomorrow. Pretty good despite
:06:37. > :06:42.temperatures not getting above six or seven. Chilly but bright. A
:06:43. > :06:46.pretty good day. Overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday just starting to
:06:47. > :06:51.see a bit more moist air which means a little bit more cloud so not quite
:06:52. > :06:55.as cold overnight. Generally in for a very settled we go further.
:06:56. > :07:00.Feeling a bit cooler than we had last week but those winds much much
:07:01. > :07:03.later so this is the picture on Wednesday, a bit more in the way of
:07:04. > :07:08.cloud around and those temperatures much more than we expect for the
:07:09. > :07:12.time of year, six or seven Celsius. A pretty settled week if you are
:07:13. > :07:15.lucky enough to be off work, absolutely no excuse for not getting
:07:16. > :07:20.out and about and making the most of it.
:07:21. > :07:23.Our next television news is at 12:40pm tomorrow.
:07:24. > :07:25.In the meantime you can follow this programme
:07:26. > :07:33.From all of us on the BBC Newsline team, good evening.