Police Ombudsman, Glenarm incident and sensory room: Friday's headlines in Northern Ireland

POLICE OMBUDSMAN

An outside police force has been asked by the PSNI to lead an independent investigation into an alleged incident believed to have taken place at the home of the Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson last month.

West Midlands Police will assess whether there are any further criminal offences following an alleged incident in September. 

In a statement the Office of the Police Ombudsman said it would be inappropriate to comment on a live investigation. 

WOMAN DIES AFTER WATER RESCUE

A woman has died after getting into difficulty in the sea near Glenarm. 

Emergency services attended the scene in the Coast Road area of the village yesterday afternoon.

SCHOOL ABSENCE

School absence in Northern Ireland is on the rise with around 98,000 pupils missing 10% of the school term last year - according to the Department of Education.

Officials say attendance is an ongoing challenge which has been significantly impacted by Covid-19. 

WRIGHTBUS DEAL

Manufacturer Wrightbus has secured a multi-million pound deal to build hydrogen buses for a German town.

Twelve vehicles will be built in Ballymena, supporting hundreds of jobs. 

SENSORY ROOM

A new sensory room to support adult learning disability patients at the South West Acute Hospitals' Emergency Department will open later. 

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