SAOIRSE32

BBC

Several hundred homes across Northern Ireland remain without power following the recent storms, NIE has said.

A tree in Aghalee blown down by 80 mph winds

The houses are in pockets of between 30 and 40. NIE said its engineers were “working hard to restore power to all areas”.

The foul weather also led to the cancellation of an outdoor concert at Belfast City Hall to usher in 2007.

The Rock The Hall outdoor concert was called off for safety reasons as high winds battered the city.

The winds, including a tornado in County Armagh, have caused widespread disruption.

Roads were closed for a time in Counties Antrim, Londonderry and Down due to fallen trees, power lines and telegraph poles.

Thousands of people had been expected to attend the Rock the Hall concert, but the Belfast City Council said safety had to come first.

The events manager at the council, Gerry Copeland, said the cancellation was “hugely disappointing” - but the safest thing to do under the circumstances.

Sunday Life

By Stephen Breen
Sunday, December 31, 2006

The crusading father of a loyalist murder victim last night vowed to reveal the names of more informers within the UVF.

Raymond McCord, whose son Raymond Jnr was battered to death in 1997, says he will expose senior figures in the terror group who also operated as agents.

It was Mr McCord’s fight for justice that led to the unmasking of notorious Mount Vernon UVF boss Mark Haddock as a Special Branch informer.

Now the north Belfast man said he will publicly name suspected agents - despite UVF death threats - after the publication of the Police Ombudsman’s report into his son’s murder.

Said Mr McCord: “I think now is the time for me to expose the senior members of the UVF who directed murder and committed murder while operating as Special Branch agents.

“These individuals know who they are and everyone knows they have also acted as informers.

“I can stand over every claim that I make.”