Inquiry hears of IRA mole unease

1 July 2011 Last updated at 16:47 GMT Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan were murdered by the IRA in 1989 There was unease about a suspected IRA mole based in an Irish police station when two RUC officers were shot by the group, an inquiry has heard.

The Smithwick Tribunal was set up to investigate the murders of Superintendent Bob Buchanan and Chief Superintendent Harry Breen.

They were ambushed after a meeting at Dundalk Garda Station in 1989.

The inquiry heard on Friday that there was unease at the station over newspaper reports of a mole.

Retired Detective Superintendent Tom Connolly, who carried out an internal probe into the killings, gave evidence at the tribunal.

"I'd say I was aware of it possibly before I went to Dundalk.

"Certainly when I arrived in Dundalk I was told by some sources there was an unease about a certain individual," said Mr Connolly, adding it had also been known outside the station.

The witness was not asked to identify this individual. Instead Justin Dillon, senior counsel for the tribunal, replied: "We will leave that for another day."

Open mind

It is understood Mr Connolly - who worked across Kildare and Dublin before being promoted to border superintendent in Dundalk in October 1998 - will return as a witness in the autumn.

The tribunal heard nothing had been highlighted by Mr Connolly's investigation.

He said he believed the IRA would not have needed inside assistance to ambush the high-ranking RUC officers and that the pair could have been under surveillance for "months, possibly years".

"I always have an open mind about everything, a concern about who could have been involved," he added.

Mr Breen and Mr Buchanan were the two highest-ranking RUC officers killed in the Troubles. The tribunal, established in 2005, has been investigating allegations that Garda officers in the Republic or a civilian in the force colluded with the IRA in the murders.

Detective Garda Tom Molloy later told the tribunal he did not believe there was a mole in Dundalk when he read the newspaper reports after the men were killed.

He thought the IRA ambush and escape routes would have taken weeks to plan and had not been "a spur of the moment thing".

Det Gda Molloy also told the tribunal his colleague Det Sgt Owen Corrigan - who the tribunal is investigating as one of three possible IRA informers - was regularly harassed by subversives who took his photograph and posted it on poles around the town.

Retired Det Sgt Corrigan has refuted any involvement with the terror group.

"I would say that nobody that I know arrested more IRA people than Owen Corrigan did, and nobody took more abuse than he did," said Det Gda Molloy.

When asked if be believed Det Gda Corrigan ever colluded with the IRA, Det Gda Molloy replied: "Definitely not."

Garda Matthew O'Reilly said Det Sgt Corrigan was looked up to when he arrived in Dundalk and that subversives saw members of the Special Branch, which Corrigan headed, as British collaborators.

He told the tribunal the senior garda was "tainted as a traitor" when he handed republican Robert Russell to the RUC during his extradition in August 1988.

The tribunal will sit again on 13 July after its team interviews potential witnesses during an investigative phase next week.

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Alex Salmond in tram inquiry call

23 June 2011 Last updated at 12:22 GMT The tram project is behind schedule and over budget First Minister Alex Salmond has given his backing to a public inquiry into the handling of the Edinburgh trams project.

His comments came after it was revealed that it would cost about ?750m to cancel the project - more than ?200m over the original budget of ?545m.

Mr Salmond said some parties would have more to fear from an inquiry than others.

SNP MSPs have always opposed the controversial project.

An Edinburgh City Council report on the trams is due to be revealed on Thursday afternoon, but some of the figures were leaked a day early.

It is understood that the report estimates it would cost ?700m to build the line from Edinburgh Airport to Haymarket, west of the city centre, and ?770m to complete the route to St Andrew Square in the city centre.

Councillors will decide the fate of the project at a meeting next week.

The original budget of ?545m had been the figure for running the line through the city centre and on to Newhaven in the north of the city.

A contractual dispute between the tram company Tie and contractors Bilfinger Berger pushed the project over budget and behind schedule.

Mediation talks are understood to still be under way after the initial meetings between Tie and Bilfinger Berger were held in Glasgow in March.

In May, a report published by Edinburgh City Council said work so far had cost ?440m - about 80% of the original budget - with huge sections of the line still to be completed.

Edinburgh councillors ordered a report to be written by officials into the estimated costs of scrapping the tram project.

A full council meeting will be held on Thursday 30 June to decide the future of the scheme.

When the news was leaked on Wednesday, Andrew Burns, Edinburgh City Council's Labour leader, also called for a public inquiry into the tram project.

An Edinburgh City Council spokeswoman said: "The costs associated with the various options for phase one of the tram project are still subject to commercial negotiations and legal scrutiny.

"In accordance with the outcomes of the mediation process in March, we cannot publicly divulge these figures until both parties have agreed to do so.

"Members are, therefore, being given this confidential information to help them make informed decisions at next week's council meeting and we will ask them not to disclose this to ensure we comply with the mediation process."

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Families of 1976 shooting in inquiry call

21 June 2011 Last updated at 13:06 GMT The bullet-riddled minibus in which 10 Protestant workmen were massacred The families of the 10 workmen shot dead in what became known as the Kingsmills Massacre have called for a public inquiry into the killings.

The Historical Enquiries Team (HET) published the findings of their investigation on Tuesday.

The families of those killed received the report last week. They said it confirmed what they already believed.

It found that the IRA was responsible for the atrocity and that victims were targeted because of their religion.

Part of the investigation centres on claims that guns used that night may be linked to as many as 90 other murders and attempted murders.

Karen Armstrong, whose brother John McConville, 20, was one of those to die at Kingsmills said the surviving families would expect nothing less than a full inquiry into mistakes by the authorities, including the government.

She said that would alleviate "the belief these men were merely sacrificial lambs in the dirty war".

Survivor Alan Black was shot 18 times. He said the memory would "never leave him".

"There is a memorial to the men in the village of Bessbrook, close to where I live, and I think often of my work mates who lost their lives on that terrible evening," he said.

"I have suffered physical and mental scars but the families of the men who died have suffered much more.

"Their grief continues every day and I hope they will find some comfort in the HET report."

On 5 January 1976, the 10 textile workers were travelling home from work in the dark and rain on a minibus in the heart of rural County Armagh.

Just after the van cleared the rise of a hill, there was a man standing in the road flashing a torch.

Continue reading the main story

Joseph Lemmon, whose wife was standing over their tea as he died;

Reginald Chapman, a Sunday school teacher who played football for Newry Town; his younger brother Walter Chapman;

Kenneth Worton, whose youngest daughter had not even started school;

James McWhirter, who belonged to the local Orange lodge;

Robert Chambers, still a teenager and living with his parents;

James McConville, who was planning to train as a missionary;

John Bryans, a widower who left two children orphaned;

Robert Freeburn, who was also a father of two.

They stopped and there was the sudden, ominous movement of 11 other men, all armed, emerging from the hedges around them.

Their first thought was that it was the Army, but the gunmen were masked.

A man asked their religions. There was only one Catholic left on the bus. He was identified and ordered away from his Protestant work mates. He was able to run off.

The lead gunman spoke one other word - "Right" - and the shooting began.

Mr Black was the only one to survive.

After the initial screams, he recalled years later: "There was silence. I was semi-conscious and passed out several times with the deadly pain and cold.

"I must have been lying at the roadside waiting on the ambulance for up to 30 minutes. It was like an eternity.

"When help arrived I could not get the words out quick enough. I was afraid I'd die and nobody would ever know what happened.

"I was hysterical and wanted to tell everyone - the ambulance men, nurses, doctors, police."

Bessbrook, a small, Quaker model village that because of the Troubles hosted a massive Army base, was devastated. Nine of the men lived in Bessbrook. They had 14 children.

The van driver, Robert Walker, came from near Glenanne.

The IRA never admitted involvement and was supposed to be on ceasefire at the time.

The South Armagh Republican Action Force claimed the deaths. The HET reinvestigated the killings as part of work spanning three decades of conflict.

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New child abuse inquiry charges

19 May 2011 Last updated at 17:09 GMT Police in Devon investigating the alleged abuse of a number of children in the Torbay area have charged a man with a further 13 sexual offences.

In February, Jake Ormerod, 19, of Babbacombe Road, Torquay, appeared in court charged with two counts under the Sexual Offences Act.

The 13 new charges included sexual assault and sexual activity with a child, police said.

He was due to appear at Exeter Crown Court on Friday 27 May, they added.

Mr Ormerod, who had been in custody since his arrest, was taken from HMP Exeter to Torquay Police Station and interviewed in relation to the new alleged offences.

Operation Mansfield is a Devon and Cornwall Police investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of up to 20 teenage girls in the Torquay area.

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Murder inquiry following shooting

19 May 2011 Last updated at 16:43 GMT A murder investigation has started after a man was shot dead in Essex.

The shooting took place in Park Road, St Osyth, just before 0500 BST on Thursday.

Police said the 42-year-old was taken to Colchester General Hospital where he died of his injuries.

A man was later arrested in Scotland in connection with the shooting. Police are searching a numb er of addresses in connction with the shooting, including one in Brightlingsea.

A police spokesman said: "A murder inquiry has been launched and is being led by the Kent and Essex serious crime directorate."

The unit targets serious and organised crime in the two counties.

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Inquiry into four refinery deaths

3 June 2011 Last updated at 11:49 GMT Police said it may take some time to name the victims

An investigation is under way after four contractors were killed in an explosion and fire at a Pembrokeshire oil refinery.

Another worker is critically ill but stable with burns after the blast at the Chevron refinery, Pembroke, at 1820 BST on Thursday.

Chevron said the explosion happened during routine maintenance of one of its 730 cubic metre storage tanks.

Non-essential work was suspended on Friday.

Chevron said it had launched its own investigation, alongside the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) with one storage tank destroyed and another damaged in the incident.

Production was able to continue but the company had decided to suspend all non-essential work on Friday.

A spokeswoman said Chevron was a "close family" and counselling was being offered to the 1,400-strong workforce.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the bodies would remain at the scene and indentification would be protracted because of the severity of the accident.

Their recovery is being made more difficulty by the unstable nature of the building.

Chief Supt Dean Richards said: "Early indications suggest that this is a tragic industrial incident.

"Sadly four people have lost their lives, and a fifth person remains in hospital, critically ill.

"We are not currently in a position to release the names of the victims, as they have not yet been formally identified, and this process may take some time."

Continue reading the main story Hywel Griffith BBC Wales correspondent at the Chevron refinery

I arrived late on Thursday night to find the road leading to the refinery blocked off and signs that the emergency services were at the site.

As the refinery is such a huge complex it was hard initially to assess the scale of the damage.

On Friday morning the scene surrounding the refinery appeared to be fairly normal, but our news helicopter was able to reveal the scale of the damage around the exploded tank.

Although people here are clearly used to living next door to a refinery and the potential hazard that that entails, this event has clearly shaken them.

Most people in the community know at least one person working at the plant and are worried about the identities of those killed and injured.

BBC Wales correspondent Hywel Griffith said it was understood one of those who died was a woman in her 50s.

Greg Hanggi, refinery general manager, said: "The loss of our co-workers has come as a huge shock to us all.

"Our thoughts and deepest sympathy go out to their families. We will ensure that all employees and contractors are fully supported throughout this difficult time."

He added that Chevron would take every step possible to determine the series of events leading to the tragic incident and ensure that any lessons would be learned.

Five Mid and West Wales fire crews had joined the refinery's own fire fighters in tackling the blaze, while specialist fire units, including foam vehicles and a chemical incident unit were sent to the scene.

Chevron spokeswoman Jane James said the company was "hugely saddened"

The tank at the centre of the incident contained a component which refiners "routinely used," said a Chevron spokeswoman.

It had been left "out of action," while another tank was damaged.

First Minister Carwyn Jones offered his sympathy to bereaved families and workers, adding: "I am shocked to learn of the accident at the Chevron refinery in Pembroke".

Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan added her condolences to families and colleagues of the dead.

"We've been in contact with Chevron and Milford Haven Port Authority and asked to be kept fully informed about the investigation into this tragic event," she said.

"It is essential to understand how this tragedy occurred."

'No ongoing risk'

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Chris Davies said there was no ongoing risk to health to members of the public as a result of the incident.

Continue reading the main story The UK has eight major operating refineriesThere were 19 oil refineries in the UK in 1975The UK has the fourth largest total refining capacity in the EUMost of the UK's refineries are based in coastal areas for ease of crude tanker accessUK refineries supply over 90% of the inland market demand for petroleum productsAbout 130m litres of petrol and diesel are sold in the UK each daySource: United Kingdom Petroleum Industry Association"We can confirm that any material released into the atmosphere as a result of the blast was immediately dispersed. The wind was blowing off shore, away from residential areas," he said.

The Health and Safety Executive said it was too early speculate about the cause of the blast.

Milford Haven coastguards reported a "blast large enough to shake the windows" with "black smoke in the air" shortly after 1820 BST.

The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service sent 10 engines to the scene and brought the incident under control within an hour and a half.

Wales Air Ambulance said a man had been airlifted to Morriston Hospital in Swansea with severe burns.

The refinery was formerly known as Texaco, later rebranded Chevron-Texaco and known as Chevron since around 2005.

In March, Chevron confirmed Texan oil company Valero Energy had agreed to buy the refinery for $730m (?446m) and pay a further $1bn (?611m) for the stocks of oil, petrol and other products on site.

Workers laid floral tributes at the refinery on Friday

The site, which can refine 220,000 barrels of crude oil a day into petrol and other products, has yet to change hands.

Earlier this year the sale of the refinery, which is one of the largest in western Europe and employs 1,400 people, was secured.

Valero agreed to buy the refinery site for $730m (?458m) and another $1bn (?611m) for assets including Chevron's petrol stations in the UK and Ireland.

There have been previous incidents at the refinery.

The most notable was in July 1994, with an explosion and fire at refinery, when 26 workers were slightly injured and homes as far away as Milford Haven damaged.

However Simon Hart, Conservative MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, praised the plant's safety record.

"It's a really important business but it is a dangerous one and it's had a fantastic safety record," he said.

The refinery is close to the Pembrokeshire coast

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