27 5t

niversary An Y

r ea

Price: 75p (IR 1.05 EURO)

Friday, April 6, 2012

The pride

of Northern Ireland

www.newsletter.co.uk

Since 1737

Cooking up a treat on the high seas P3

Enjoying an Easter day out
Aaron McCullough and Patrick Loughran take advantage of Translinks Easter offers and enjoy a day out at Ark Open Farm in Newtownards. Translink is urging families to get out and about during the Easter break and avail of offers such as the 20 family and friends ticket which provides one day of unlimited travel for up to two adults and four children on bus or rail services. The Easter period is set to see families enjoy a host of events taking place across Ulster, including a Sea Safari Boat Trip around Strangford Lough and an Easter Eggspress steam train from Belfast to Whitehead See page 14
PICTURE: Brian Morrison

Good Friday message from Paisley P5&19

Care home flu outbreak
A NURSING home in Northern Ireland has been closed to new admissions due to an outbreak of flu, it has been revealed. The Public Health Agency (PHA) has said infection control measures are now in place at the affected site but, as yet, no further details are known about the homes location. All affected residents are described as either recovered or recovering. The PHA is urging everyone in the at risk groups, who have not yet been vaccinated against flu, to get the jab. Turn to page 12

Trust to be monitored

McNarry offered to quit last year

BY sam mcBride Political Correspondent
sam.mcbride@newsletter.co.uk

HEALTH Minister Edwin Poots has revealed he will be introducing special measures to monitor the performance of the Belfast Trust. The announcement follows the recent pseudomonas outbreak and the ongoing difficulties at the accident and emergency department of the Royal Victoria Hospital. The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) is investigating a total of four pseudomonas deaths at hospitals in Belfast and Londonderry. See page 8

DAVID McNarry has dramatically revealed that he tendered his resignation as an Ulster Unionist MLA last year and claimed that former party leader Tom Elliott set up secret UUP-DUP talks to keep him on board.

The former UUP chief whips letter of resignation, published in todays News Letter, was sent to Mr Elliott and UUP chairman David Campbell last June. Mr McNarry quit the partys Assembly group earlier this year after being disciplined for revealing the DUP-UUP talks which began the month he offered to resign and he has now been sus-

pended for nine months. Writing in todays News Letter, Mr McNarry claims that new UUP leader Mike Nesbitt was aware of the DUP talks and did not raise concerns at a private group of senior UUP figures known as The Lough Erne Group. Deputy leader John McCallister and Basil McCrea were not on that group, Mr McNarry says.

But last night Mr Elliott vigorously rejected a series of claims by his former colleague. He did not deny that Mr McNarry offered to resign as a UUP MLA but said that his other claims were absolute rubbish. He added: Some of what I have seen is almost going beyond the ridiculous. See pages 6 & 7

INDEPENDENT inspectors are to examine claims the polices Historical Enquiries Team (HET) does not properly investigate Troubles killings carried out by soldiers. Dr Patricia Lundy, from the University of Ulster, claimed HET investigators acted differently when interviewing former soldiers and ex-paramilitaries and treated them more favourably. See page 8

Probe into work of HET

SWIFT HOLIDAY HOMES ON DISPLAY!

Hayes Caravans Sales

Hayes Caravans

New and Used Static Caravans. Sites available at Ballycastle, Castlerock, Crevenish Castle Holiday Park & Jetty(Kesh), Rossnowlagh. For further info rmation and enquiries please contact:

15 Cabragh Road, Dungannon. BT70 3AH

Tel :028 8776 7575 Fax:028 8775 2570 www.hayescaravans.com