“Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has stopped publishing the officer reports that underpin its decisions”

A council has been criticised on transparency concerns that its agendas “shrank by 99%” with missing reports on its website.

The data problem at Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has surfaced as officers’ reports have “stopped publishing” with ratepayers unable to readily view public documents.

The local authority has said that the issue is a four month technology glitch it is yet to fix, but a concerned social media platform ‘Council Watch’ claims it has been an undemocratic change since the new year.

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A spokesperson for Council Watch said: “Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has stopped publishing the officer reports that underpin its decisions.

“The change happened in January. No councillor voted on it. No public notice was given.

“The only clue is in the file sizes. Every agenda file on the council’s website shrank by over 99%. A search of the council minutes has found not a single mention of the change.”

Calculations on word counts by the local online watchdog show claims of a dramatic decline in committee agendas such as planning (Dec 2025) at over 110k words to under 1k (January 2026).

Other committees are also claimed to follow a similar downsizing pattern.

The agendas available on the council website usually provide a list of the topics for debate, decision and noting.

These included attached reports from officers detailing the issues at hand, but they have now seemingly been removed.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service checked the agendas on the council website from January this year with the reports not appearing to be available.

In February the LDRS was told by the council’s democratic services: “For accessibility reasons, after each committee the full agenda meeting pack is removed and replaced with a plain agenda.

“Full meeting packs will remain available on request.”

Agendas from previous years still have reports available on the council website online with the local authority now claiming a system error with its documents.

A council spokesperson said: “An update was placed on our website to inform users after the issue arose in March 2026: ‘Meeting Agenda – Newry, Mourne and Down District Council we are working to resolve this matter as soon as possible.’

“At present some of the PDF documents generated by our committee management system are not accessible on the website.

“We are working to resolve this, and in the meantime copies of previously held meetings can be provided upon request by contacting the council (democratic.services@nmandd.org/ telephone: 0330 137 4006).”

The spokesperson added:”Newry, Mourne and Down District Council committee and council meetings are held in an open and transparent manner.

“While the majority of meetings are held in public, there are occasions where certain items are discussed in closed session due to their sensitive or confidential nature, with any decisions arising from these discussions always being reported during the open session.”

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The victims were “terrified by the invasion” and the mother now feels “extremely unsafe in her own home”

Two West Belfast men were sentenced today over a drunken and “terrifying” flat incursion while armed with knives.

Conor Patrick Bradley, 35, of Altan Park, Dunmurry, was jailed for a year and he was told by Judge Gordon Kerr KC that he will spend a further 12 months on supervised licence on his release from custody.

Co-accused Michael Valliday, 27, of Albert Street, received a combination order of 60 hours unpaid work along with a two year probation order.

The judge said he was differentiating between the two defendants as Valliday had no previous convictions while Bradley had 23 entries on his criminal record which included offences of assault and possessing offensive weapons.

Both defendants had previously pleaded guilty to charges of theft, two counts of common assault and possessing knives with intent to commit an indictable offence.

Belfast Crown Court heard that on the morning of December 7, 2024, staff at the Russell’s store on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast reported a theft to police.

Prosecution barrister James Johnston said that at 9.10 am three “intoxicated” individuals entered the store and were verbally abusive towards staff and customers while stealing various items valued at £30.

The three males – which included Paul Valliday who is now deceased – made their way to The Mill apartment block also on the Crumlin Road.

At 9.20am a man had just left the apartment when he encountered the defendants.

“They asked him to let them into the flats but he declined and heard one of them commenting ‘Shorty’s going to get ended today’. He noted one of them was dragging a tarpaulin and they had their hoods up or used masks to partially hide their faces. He made a report to police who started to task officers to the scene,” explained the prosecutor.

“Paul Valliday used his yellow handle knife to try and pry open the security door into the apartments area. Michael Valliday then used his large silver knife to try and do the same,” said Mr Johnston.

“For the next eight minutes all three take turns with their knives to force open the security door. They eventually give up and walk up the stairs to the second floor hallway where a Ring doorbell camera captures them again shouting out for ‘Shorty’ and trying to get into one of the flats.”

The court was told a female was in her mother’s apartment and heard loud banging from outside their door.

She looked out the peep hole and saw the three men on the landing. She described them as the ‘skinny one’ (Michael Valliday), the ‘fat one’ (Bradley) and the ‘scruffy one’ (Paul Valliday).

She told police that she could see Michael Valliday had a kitchen knife in his hand and he was kicking her door and shouting: “Open the door. Where’s Shorty? Where is f***ing Shorty?”

The witness said Paul Valliday and Bradley then joined in kicking the door.

Said Mr Johnston: “She tried to lock the door but they forced it open which knocked her back into a wall and onto the floor. As she lay on the floor Bradley pointed a knife to her face from about 12 inches and said: ‘Where’s Shorty’ Where’s Shorty?’

“She was crying and in fear of her life and she kept telling them that she didn’t know a “Shorty’ and they had the wrong flat. While Bradley held her down, the two Vallidays began searching the kitchen.”

The court was told the victim’s mother came out of her bedroom to see the three males with their hoods up standing in the hallway. Her appearance startled the intruders and this caused Bradley to say to his accomplices: ‘We’ve got the wrong house”.

She started shouting at them to get out of her house at which point Paul Valliday became aggressive towards her calling her a “f*t b***h’ and he lunged towards her with his knife but was held back by Bradley.

“The three defendants then left the flat only to be accosted on the stairwell by police officers who had just arrived on the scene,” said Mr Johnston.

“A black handled knife was recovered from the ground beside Bradley. When police stopped Michael Valliday, a large silver knife dropped from his coat to the floor.

“Also in his coat police found various stolen items which he admitted taking from the Russell’s store, and a black balaclava.

“Paul Valliday was talking incoherently about ‘Shorty’ and a yellow handled knife and various stolen chocolate bars were recovered from him.”

Mr Johnston said that CCTV from the apartment building showed the defendants in the stairwell with the knives in their possession. It also showed them shouting on the second floor landing for ‘Shorty’ and trying to get into another flat before police arrived and they were arrested.

“They were therefore caught red-handed,” added Mr Johnston.

In victim impact statements, the woman said the incursion into her mother’s flat with knives and threats “has traumatised her. She is now scared to stay there and feels scared for her mother’s personal safety”.

Her mother said she had been left “terrified by the invasion” and now feels “extremely unsafe in her own home”.

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Yvette Cooper has piled pressure onto Sir Keir Starmer as she backs his former defence secretary in a row over defence spending.

John Healey resigned as defence secretary over Sir Keir’s highly anticipated Defence Investment Plan (DIP) earlier this month, arguing it does not provide adequate funding for Britain’s military.

In an intervention on Friday, the foreign secretary also warned the DIP will “have to go further”, heaping pressure onto Sir Keir and his likely successor, Andy Burnham, to lay out his defence plans and boost spending.

In an interview with ITV, Ms Cooper said the government must go “further and faster” on its defence spending, as the outgoing prime minister prepares to publish the plan ahead of next month’s Nato summit.

“So there’s a whole series of things as part of the Defence Investment Plan we have to be able to get on with, but we are also going to have to go further. We just are,” she said.

“That is the reality of the challenges that we face in terms of security, in terms of global instability and conflict. So we have to face up to the fact as a country, that means we are going to have to go further on defence spending.”

Mr Healey quit as defence secretary earlier this month because a long-delayed military investment plan was only due to provide an extra £13.5 billion, far short of the £28bn over four years which officials had argued for.

He suggested the UK was on course to spend only 2.68 per cent of GDP on core defence by 2030, casting doubt on the country’s ability to meet its Nato target of 3.5 per cent by 2035.

Asked if Mr Burnham will have to deal with the issue of defence spending during his first weeks as prime minister, Ms Cooper said: “Well, we’re going to have to get to 3 per cent. We’ve made a longer term commitment to get to 3.5 per cent. We are going to have to do that.

“We are going to have to increase our defence spending. So of course, all of this is going to have to be continually reviewed, continually improved on.

“We are going to have to do that. I don’t think we have any choice as a country.”

Ms Cooper backed Mr Burnham to be the next prime minister this week, having said she had spoken to the former mayor and he was “100% behind our unwavering support for Ukraine”.

Though Mr Burnham will be bringing in his own Cabinet in No 10, Ms Cooper is expected by some to remain in government due to her experience.

Sir Keir has vowed to publish the DIP ahead of the Nato leaders’ summit on July 7, despite the fact it will be left to his likely successor Mr Burnham to implement it – and he may have a different view.

Speaking during a visit to Milton Keynes on Thursday, Sir Keir was resolute that moving ahead with publishing the plan is the right move.

He told broadcasters: “Everybody understands why it’s important that we spend the money that we must spend on our armed forces, and so it’s my intention to publish that ahead of the Nato summit.

“That’s the right time to publish it, when we will be coming together as Nato countries – the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen – to share our capabilities, and to make sure we emerge from that summit stronger as a military force.”

But Downing Street has failed to rule out any uplift to the long-awaited DIP following Mr Healey’s resignation.

Asked whether the government would still rule out any uplift to the £13.5bn extra investment that was proposed to Mr Healey, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “The defence secretary has said he’s working very closely with colleagues in government, with the prime minister, with the chancellor, and there have been good and constructive meetings between the chancellor and defence secretary over the past few days.

“The defence secretary has been clear he’s determined to secure the best possible deal sooner rather than later.”

Pressed on whether there would be any uplift, the spokesperson refused to rule it out, saying: “I’m just not going to comment ahead of the publication of the DIP.”

We’ve teamed up with Slimming World to offer you the chance to join your local group for FREE, saving you £5/€9 – here’s the reasons why you should

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Catalina Birlea was killed at an address in Cambridge on October 2, 2025

A man has been found guilty of murdering a woman in Cambridge. Jurors found Jon Ismaili, 34, guilty of murder after nine hours of deliberation at Cambridge Crown Court.

Ismaili, of School Lane, Waterbeach, killed Catalina Birlea at a property in Chesterton Road on October 2, 2025. The court heard that Ismaili travelled to where Catalina was staying at around 8.50am.

He stayed in the house for around two hours, covering his face from CCTV cameras when he left. Around an hour and a half later, a friend entered the Chesterton Road property and found Catalina unresponsive.

Emergency services were called and despite best efforts, Catalina was pronounced dead at the scene. A manhunt was launched to find Ismaili and he was arrested on October 5.

Phone data showed Catalina’s phone had been connected to the local area around his home after the murder. A post-mortem concluded that Catalina died as a result of compression of the neck.

During interview, Ismaili made no comment and pleaded not guilty to murder. He will be sentenced on June 29.

Detective Inspector Mark Dollard said: “Only Ismaili knows what happened at the property that morning and why he murdered Catalina.

“He left the house knowing exactly what he had done, covering his face and actively avoiding police. I am pleased officers were able to catch up with him so quickly through diligent detective work putting together a comprehensive investigation.

“Catalina was working as a sex worker that morning, and this case underlines the risks faced by those in this industry. To those working in the sex industry who have experienced violence please report it to the police. We will listen, we will investigate without prejudice and we will support you.”

Dr Suzanne Moyes has explained the action all small animal owners need to be taking

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As temperatures continue to stay well above average, veterinary experts are warning that rabbits and guinea pigs are at particular risk of heatstroke because, unlike dogs, they cannot pant effectively to cool themselves down.

To help owners protect their pets, Burgess Pet Care’s in-house vet, Dr Suzanne Moyes, has shared advice for keeping small animals safe during hot weather.

Dr Moyes said: “Sadly, pets die every year from heatstroke. Small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs are particularly vulnerable because they have dense fur, cannot pant or sweat efficiently, and often live in enclosed spaces.

“With nearly 40% housing their small animals inside in summer, owners of small pets must take action this summer to keep their furry companions cool, happy, and healthy.”

What can small animal owners do to prevent heatstroke this summer?

1. Move outdoor enclosures to a shaded part of your garden

Dr Moyes said: “Direct exposure to the sun on hot days can be very dangerous for small animals that live outdoors, like rabbits. Heatstroke is a life-threatening emergency for rabbits, as they are unable to sweat or pant efficiently to reduce their body temperature. If possible, move your pet’s enclosure out of the sun. Don’t forget that the sun will move throughout the day, so you’ll need to keep an eye on them to make sure they’re not exposed.”

2. Drape cold, damp towels over hutches

“If you’re unable to move the outdoor enclosure out of the sun, a good alternative is to drape a damp towel over the top. This will not only keep the sun out but also actively help to cool animals down. You can do this for small animals that live indoors as well. Always make sure the towel is well wrung-out and only damp, not wet. Guinea pigs in particular are very sensitive to temperature changes and could even go into shock if they get wet and aren’t dried thoroughly.”

3. Beat the heat with plenty of hay

“In the wild, during hot spells, small pets would naturally seek the safety of their cool burrows. Making sure their shelter is filled with plenty of high-quality feeding hay can act as insulation whilst allowing your animal to eat in the shade.”

4. Stroke fur with a cool, damp flannel

“Stroking your rabbits’ or guinea pigs’ fur with a cool, damp flannel can also provide some relief during a heatwave. With rabbits, focus on carefully dampening their ears, this is the part of their body that they lose heat from.”

5. Clean the enclosure regularly

“Cleaning the enclosure regularly is especially important when the weather is hot. This can reduce the risk of flies and unwanted insects being attracted to them and help prevent flystrike, a painful, sometimes fatal condition caused by flies laying eggs in their host’s flesh. Remove any uneaten vegetables as soon as possible, as these can start to rot quickly in hot weather, attracting flies to your small animal houses and shelters.”

6. Always avoid giving small pets a cool bath

“It may be tempting to give small animals a cold bath to cool them down, but this is a big no-no, especially for guinea pigs. Not only is bathing very stressful for them, but it can also cause their small, sensitive bodies to go into shock.”