:00:00. > :00:12.The Chief Constable George Hamilton has issued an online apology
:00:13. > :00:15.for a message he sent on social media.
:00:16. > :00:19.In an exchange with another Twitter user, he said that anyone
:00:20. > :00:21.who was unhappy in the PSNI should dry their eyes
:00:22. > :00:29.The Police Federation had described the comments as offensive.
:00:30. > :00:40.A video appeared on Twitter - the Chief Constable saying sorry.
:00:41. > :00:42.I've clearly caused some offence with what I've said.
:00:43. > :00:46.forum followed an exchange on Twitter yesterday afternoon.
:00:47. > :00:48.It began when the Chief Constable posted a message calling for people
:00:49. > :00:52.He was callenged about working conditions.
:00:53. > :00:54.One user claimed that police officers
:00:55. > :00:58.are expected to fulfil far more roles than ever anticipated.
:00:59. > :01:03.During an exchange, Mr Hamilton said the PSNI is here to serve, adding,
:01:04. > :01:07."So let's get on with it rather than wallowing in self-pity."
:01:08. > :01:09.He also tweeted another message saying,
:01:10. > :01:12."Well, you are allowed to leave and seek another job.
:01:13. > :01:16."Dry your eyes, do the job or move on."
:01:17. > :01:24.Today, the Chief Constable took to Twitter to apologise.
:01:25. > :01:30.With such important issues, they're not best dealt with 140 characters
:01:31. > :01:35.of a tweet. I've clearly caused some offence with what I've said and for
:01:36. > :01:39.that I apologise. I am hugely proud of the officers and staff who go out
:01:40. > :01:44.and serve the public everyday. I want to encourage and support them.
:01:45. > :01:45.I except that my comments last night would not have conveyed that
:01:46. > :01:47.support. For that, I am sorry. The Police Federation later
:01:48. > :01:58.accepted that the apology. The Police Federation release date
:01:59. > :02:04.strongly worded statement. They said the comments amounted to a great
:02:05. > :02:09.insult and a stunning misjudgment. The statement said that the job was
:02:10. > :02:10.difficult enough without the Chief Constable showing such indifference.
:02:11. > :02:13.And politicians who had called him Mr Hamilton to reflect on the
:02:14. > :02:15.content of the tweets said the police force
:02:16. > :02:20.must not underestimate the difficulties facing officers.
:02:21. > :02:26.Recently, I lost my grandson and the police officers who came to my house
:02:27. > :02:30.who had to do with that as my grandson lay dead on the floor had
:02:31. > :02:35.to witness that. They were there for a number of hours. I say they were
:02:36. > :02:39.fantastic, but once they finished, I know it affected them greatly, they
:02:40. > :02:44.then had to leave my house and want to do other duties. -- and had to do
:02:45. > :02:45.other duties. The Twitter exchanges and today's
:02:46. > :02:47.apology will feed into those ongoing concerns about the welfare
:02:48. > :02:49.of police officers. A man in his forties has
:02:50. > :02:51.died following a road It happened on the Tullyvar Road
:02:52. > :02:55.in Aughnacloy shortly before The man's van was the only
:02:56. > :03:03.vehicle involved. The front room of a house
:03:04. > :03:06.in South Belfast has been damaged A brick was used to break
:03:07. > :03:11.the downstairs window of the house on Cooke Street at around
:03:12. > :03:12.4:00 this morning. The firework partially exploded,
:03:13. > :03:14.causing smoke damage. A man who was at home
:03:15. > :03:17.at the time was uninjured. The Olympic Council of Ireland
:03:18. > :03:19.is to hold a meeting tonight at an undisclosed location
:03:20. > :03:22.to discuss the arrest of its former The 71-year-old is in jail in Brazil
:03:23. > :03:25.after being arrested in Rio earlier this week over
:03:26. > :03:28.alleged ticket fraud. He's understood to be sharing
:03:29. > :03:32.a prison cell with Kevin Mallon, the director of sports
:03:33. > :03:35.hospitality company THG, who is also caught up
:03:36. > :03:38.in the ticketing investigation. Mr Hickey denies any allegations
:03:39. > :03:41.he was involved in ticket touting and it is expected his lawyers
:03:42. > :03:44.will appeal the decision to deny him Now, motorists driving
:03:45. > :03:53.to the County Tyrone village of Newtownstewart have been doing
:03:54. > :03:57.a double take as they pass through Our reporter Teresa Craig has been
:03:58. > :04:11.to investigate what's going on. If you go down in the woods today,
:04:12. > :04:16.you're sure for a big surprise... There is something different about
:04:17. > :04:19.the country Hunter side outside the village of Newtownstewart and it's
:04:20. > :04:24.causing a lot of excitement as people travel for miles to find out
:04:25. > :04:28.what is lurking in the skills to lick fields here. We went past and
:04:29. > :04:35.had to turn back to see it. It's fantastic. He is made out of hay, so
:04:36. > :04:41.it's quite cool. I've never seen a bear made out of hay before. It's
:04:42. > :04:48.like the dog I have at home. Dozens of people are coming from all over
:04:49. > :04:53.to hear today. Meet Ted, he is over 12 feet tall, made of bales of hay
:04:54. > :04:57.and it's all down to the hard work of one local farmer who says it's
:04:58. > :05:06.been no picnic. I brought them here, I piled them up three hi and this
:05:07. > :05:09.has exploded out. Such as the popularity of this very special
:05:10. > :05:15.straw creation, that Ted could find himself with company next year. Next
:05:16. > :05:20.year we'll have to go for Goldilocks and the three bears. The question
:05:21. > :05:24.is, who will be eating his porridge? Me!
:05:25. > :05:34.Hello, good evening. Not such a great end to the day, you'll be glad
:05:35. > :05:38.to hear there is a fair amount of try whether in the forecast this
:05:39. > :05:43.week. Scattered showers, Prater Sunny spells. The exception will be
:05:44. > :05:47.tomorrow night into Tuesday, it is likely to be quite what. The eastern
:05:48. > :05:52.areas may well bear the brunt of that, heavy at times, but nowhere is
:05:53. > :05:57.immune. Quite what across many parts this evening, heavy bursts likely,
:05:58. > :06:08.but the rain will ease off tonight. There will be and pieces of rain and
:06:09. > :06:11.drizzle around. A lot of low cloud and mist, temperatures monkey.
:06:12. > :06:16.Temperatures not lower than 15 or 16 Celsius. First thing in the morning,
:06:17. > :06:20.some low cloud, bits and pieces of drizzle before they fade away. That
:06:21. > :06:24.weather front that brought the overnight rain, it will head into
:06:25. > :06:30.the central England, heavy bursts at first. To the south of that, dry,
:06:31. > :06:38.bright and humid. A buffet, variable amounts of clouds, but some sun for
:06:39. > :06:44.eastern parts of Scotland. A dry afternoon for Northern Ireland, a
:06:45. > :06:49.fair amount of cloud. The best of the bright spells towards the north.
:06:50. > :06:52.Highs should get up to 19 or 20 Celsius. There the middle part of
:06:53. > :06:57.the week, low-pressure out in the Atlantic. Driving a weather front
:06:58. > :07:00.into northern and western areas am I pushing gradually south into
:07:01. > :07:06.Wednesday. Ready what in places and not Ireland and Scotland, as we head
:07:07. > :07:12.into Tuesday in particular. Parts of eastern Northern Ireland most at
:07:13. > :07:16.risk. To the south, humid with the sunshine, and it is still there as
:07:17. > :07:21.we head into Wednesday. For more cloud as the weather front pushes
:07:22. > :07:26.southwards. Towards the north, bright spells, just a view scattered
:07:27. > :07:30.showers. Pretty much the same sort of theme as we head into Thursday.
:07:31. > :07:33.Not looking too bad. That said, goodbye.