From the pages of the Down Recorder, September 1, 1993

From the pages of the Down Recorder, September 1, 1993

30 August 2023

NEWCASTLE – Newcastle police believe they are close to locating the source of a forgery ring which has been circulating dud £20 notes in the district during the summer.

The breakthrough came after four youths and a girl were arrested in the town last week trying to pass what police have described as poor quality forgeries.

The five were questioned at length by detectives before being released on bail, and are likely to appear in court shortly on a number of charges.

The breakthrough came after a Newcastle shopkeeper became suspicious when the five tried to pass one of the notes in his shop on Wednesday evening. He alerted the police who detained the young people with a total of six forged notes in their possession.

A police spokesman explained that all those arrested are from west Belfast and he described the forgeries as “poor and easily identifiable”.

“The forgeries would have been spotted by an alert businessman and we are grateful for the quick actions of the person concerned in this instance,” said the spokesman.

“Our enquiries are continuing and we believe we are close to locating the source of the forgeries,” he added.

SAINTFIELD – The owners of Saintfield’s Rowallane Inn are still counting the cost of last week’s malicious blaze which police believe we wither started by a petrol bomb or an incendiary device.

An alter neighbour, who was wakened by what she thought was a small explosion just after 4 am last Saturday morning, alerted fire and police chiefs, saving the building from more serious damage.

The device, which may have been attached to a side window, caused extensive scorch and smoke damage to the lounge and the repair bill has been estimated at several thousand pounds.

The entire bar stock of beer and spirits will be to be destroyed and the lounge is expected to remain closed for the next few weeks to allow repair work to be carried out.

Mr Michael McCann, the joint owner of the premises, said he did not believe the attack was sectarian.

“Our customers come from both sides of the political divide and we have had no trouble for the past 25 years. everyone who comes here for a drink is sickened by what has happened and cannot understand why the place has been singled out,” he said.

KILLYLEAGH – One of the area’s top pigeon breeders says he had no idea why his loft was targeted by a “crazed monster” last week and 18 of his birds brutally mutilated in a savage attack. 

Killyleagh man Clifford Healy, who has offered a reward for any information which will lead to the apprehension of the attacker, says he is disgusted by the frenzied attack.

The entire stock of Mr Healy’s loft, which is situated behind his Comber Road home, was lost in the attack, apart from 12 birds which he had entered for the East Down Combine’s Cashel race.

The incident took place during the early hours of last Saturday morning when intruders kicked down the loft door before pulling the heads of the pigeons.

Mr Healy believes that two or three people were involved in the attack although he has no idea why his loft was singled out.

“My loft is surrounded by four others and yet the birds inside them were not touched,” he said, surveying the remains of the dead pigeons.

DOWNPATRICK – A group of angry mothers from Mount Crescent and Bridge Street in Downpatrick said last week they will take action to protect their children’s lives from speeding cars in the area.

After a child was hit by a car a fortnight ago, The Tenant’s Association has handed in an 84-signature petition to local MP, Mr Eddie McGrady, demanding warning signs and safe play areas.

The women say they asked for these measures two years ago and the lack of provision reflects what they called a “raw deal” for Bridge Street compared to other Downpatrick estates.

“The road out there is like Church Street,” said Mrs Michelle Wast. “The big lorries that come up here do not cut any speed. There are two blind corners on this road but they just come on around and they don’t look out for kids.”

Their call for a play area on a patch of ground beside Down High was also ruled out and a car park has since been built on it which, say the women, stands virtually empty every day.

As an alternative, the women called for a stretch of ground at the back of the Mount Crescent houses, which why say is used for dumping, to be turned back into a play area.

The women added that in addition to the problems of speeding lorries and parked cars, the estate suffers from general neglect with a reputation of being a “sink-hole” for undesirable tenants.

South Down MP, Eddie McGrady, has sent copies of the petition to Down Council and the Department of the Environment asking for positive support to be shown to the residents’ plight.

ARDGLASS – Construction work on a £1.2 million boat park development for Ardglass could be underway within the next 12 months.

That’s the time it will take for the ambitious harbour project, seen as a vital first step in the regeneration of Ardglass, to get official approval and funding.

The 66-berth marina, the brainchild of the Ardglass and District Development Association, has qualified for grant aid under the Rural Development Council’s Leader programme.

Addressing members at the association’s annual meeting on Wednesday night, chairman, Paula Mahon, said she was confident of the scheme getting the go-ahead.

The funding is subject to the findings of a feasibility study drawn up by Price Waterhouse accountants and the consultant engineering firm of Dr I G Doran and Partners.

That report is expect4ed to be completed and passed on within the next week to the RDC, which could provide up to 80 per cent of the funding.

The rest of the money would come in other grants from other agencies, including the International Fund for Ireland, and the association itself, which must come up with 10 per cent of the overall cost.

CASTLEWELLAN – Senior DoE chiefs are to be invited to meet residents in the Castlewellan area who are concerned about a number of traffic issues, it has emerged.

A number of points were raised during a recent meeting of the Castlewellan branch of the SDLP, including the speed of cars at Annsborough, Lower Clarkhill Road, Circular Road and Newcastle Road. 

Mrs Mary McDermott, who has been compiling a dossier on traffic problems, said there are other serious issues which affect Station Avenue, St Patrick’s Avenue and Burrenbridge.

Meanwhile, another member raised the problem of parking and pedestrian safety at Main Street.

Local councillor, Mr Eamonn O’Neill, said the problems were so widespread that the ideal solution would be for a special meeting involving Road Service and representatives of the RUC Traffic Branch.

CARRYDUFF – An improved firefighting service in the Carryduff area is promised by the Fire Authority with the opening of its latest local station.

The station, built on the Comber Road at the cost of £180,000 has one fire tender and will have a part-time staff of 13, made up of three officers and 10 firefighters.

“It’s a part-time station, much the same as Downpatrick and Ballynahinch,” said Mr Colin Lammey of the Fire Authority last week “and it becomes operational at 7.30 pm on Wednesday.

He said that the staff had been in training at the Authority’s Lisburn headquarters every Wednesday for the last year, and that the area they will cover includes Ballygowan, Raffrey, Saintfield and Temple.