A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Man shot dead by off-duty PSNI officer during suspected robbery
An off-duty PSNI officer has shot and fatally injured a man in east Belfast. The shooting happened during what police sources said was a robbery at a petrol filling station in east Belfast last night, writes Gerry Moriarty.
The Police Ombudsman Al Hutchinson was notified of the shooting. His investigators were also at the scene last night. “As is normal procedure, the Police Ombudsman has been informed and are attending the scene,” said the police spokesman.
The PSNI said the incident took place on the Albertbridge Road in east Belfast at 7.05pm. Police sources said the dead man was armed with a knife and that a robbery was taking place when the off-duty officer “chanced upon” the scene.
The area around the filling station was cordoned off last night as PSNI officers investigated the shooting.
Three more deaths from flu in past week bring winter total to 15
Three more people died from flu in the past week, bringing the total number of flu-related deaths in the State this winter to 15.
Swine flu was responsible for 11 of those deaths, three have been attributed to influenza B and one was due to influenza A unsubtyped.
All but one of those who died had underlying medical conditions.
Meanwhile rates of influenza-like illness continue to fall. The latest weekly flu report from the national Health Protection Surveillance Centre indicates rates of infection now stand at 93 cases per 100,000 of the population, down form 108 cases per 100,000 a week ago.
Prison service seeks tenders
The Irish Prison Service is seeking tenders for an archeological investigation of the site of Thornton Hall, north Co Dublin, in preparation for the construction of the new prison.
The tender documents, published yesterday, state that eight sites of archaeological significance had been revealed by preliminary investigations, five of which were the subject of the tender.
The archeological investigation would lead on from the first phase of the prison’s development.
Gillespie stays on with the PSNI
The PSNI’s deputy chief constable is to stay in her post and to turn down a £500,000 (€590,000) early retirement package.
Judith Gillespie (48) told yesterday’s public meeting of the policing board she wishes to continue working alongside Chief Constable Matt Baggott and forgo the lump sum that would go with the severance scheme. Senior officers are in line for substantial lump sums if they leave the police following implementation of Patten Commission proposals which abolished the RUC. The scheme runs out next month.