DOWN District Council is facing the prospect of legal action by a leading research scientist following comments on Radio Ulster’s The Stephen Nolan Show by a member of the Council’s staff.

Professor Olle Johansson, who specialises in the field of microwave technology, is demanding that the Council apologises and retracts comments that allegedly suggested those opposed to the use of mobile communications technology were scaremongers.

Already three teaching unions – the Professional Association of Teachers, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, and the Ulster Teachers Union – have followed the line taken by Professor Johansson, by formally demanding that the Department of Education withdraw wi-fi wireless Internet technology from all school environments.

Arson theory explored after blaze guts workshops

FIREMEN who tackled a blaze in Downpatrick town centre on Monday night have been commended for their hard work in bringing the fire under control.

A South Eastern Regional College (SERC) building at the rear of the campus, and which is adjacent to St. Patrick’s Drive, was gutted.

The blaze at the building, which up until two weeks ago was occupied by students, was spotted shortly after 9pm and it took almost 40 firemen from the town’s station and colleagues from Ballynahinch and Newcastle nearly two hours to extinguish the flames.

The fire, which prompted police to close St. Patrick’s Drive to traffic, is now the subject of a PSNI investigation, with scenes of crime officers treating the cause of the fire as “suspicious” and the Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed it believes the fire was started deliberately.

Yesterday (Tuesday) campus manager David Smith explained that the building, which had been used as workshops for trainee mechanics, was destined for demolition within the coming weeks.

A LOCAL mother has called for concerted action before the Mourne Esplanade in Kilkeel is turned into a ‘no go’ area by lager louts.

Wendy Hanna was appalled by the amount of broken glass at the Esplanade when she and her family paid a visit to the area on a recent Sunday afternoon.

Some shards were strewn across part of the children’s play area and broken glass had also been trampled into the grass area between the play park and the tennis courts.

The youngest of Wendy’s three children is a toddler and she was too afraid to allow the little boy to run around inside the play area because of the broken glass.

As far as Wendy is concerned the blame for the problem lies squarely with those who congregate at the Esplanade, particularly at the weekends, for public drinking sessions.

All too often their calling cards are broken bottles and vandalised play equipment.