A contractor has threatened to pull out of a housing estate in Derry if attacks on his workers continue.

The company, which is laying gas pipes, said one of its drivers was attacked yesterday at a site on the Ringfort Road in Hazelbank.

In a separate incident a van driver was assaulted at Marianus Park and his vehicle damaged.

Sinn Fein councillor Billy Page witnessed one of the incidents and he said the youths attacked the man with branches.

Up to 85 positions at Foyle Meats are at risk of redundancy, its parent company Foyle Food Group has said.

Based in Campsie Foyle Meats has a processing capacity of 1,500 cattle and 12,000 lambs per week.

At its peak, the Foyle Group was Northern Ireland’s biggest exporters of lambs.

It processed up to 400,000 carcases a year and won supply contracts in France and with Tesco throughout the UK.

The Foyle Food Group, also owns Omagh Meats, Donegal meat, Foyle Proteins and Hilton Meats.

The group as a whole employs more than 750 people, with 260 of those working at Foyle Meats.

While farmers and supermarkets have been making money from a buoyant lamb trade, processors claim their margins have been squeezed.

A statement from the company said that between 2007 and 2009, the total number of lambs processed in Northern Ireland fell by 29%.

There has been a further reduction of 25% since the start of 2010.

The company said it would work closely with the Unite union to minimise job losses and explore other job opportunities within the group.

Two young men today admitted charges linked to the death of Garda Robbie McCallion in Co. Donegal last year.

Jamie McGrenaghan, 19, who was driving a car registered in 1998, admitted driving it dangerously and causing the death of 29-year-old Gda McCallion at Tara Court Letterkenny, on March 26 last year.

21 year-old Cathal Dunleavy of Meentagh, Glenvar, Kerrykeel, who was with McGrenaghan, pleaded guilty to unlawfully taking the 1994 car on March 26 last year without the consent of its owner.

At Letterkenny Circuit Court today James McGrenaghan also admitted taking unlawful possession at Tara Court of a 1994 car, the property of Sonia O’Brien.

He denied the manslaughter of Gda McCallion on April 7th, 2009, the day the garda died in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin.

McGrenaghan, of Gortnatraw, Cashel, Kerrykeel, also pleaded not guilty to recklessly driving the car in the direction of gardai Joanne Doherty and Shane Lavelle at Tara Court on March 26.

Cathal Dunleavy, 21, of Meentagh, Glenvar, Kerrykeel, who was with McGrenaghan, pleaded guilty to unlawfully taking the 1994 car On March 26 last year without the consent of the ownert.

Garda McCallion, a native of Swinford, Co. Mayo, who was based in Letterkenny, died in hospital from injuries received when investigating reports of a stolen car.

His parents, retired garda Bob and Nancy, and his older brother John, also a garda, were in court.

Dunleavy, who was already in custody simply said “Guilty” when the sole charge was put to him.

He was remanded in custody to next Wednesday when Judge John O’Hagan will hear details and sentence him.

The first charge read to McGrenaghan was the manslaughter charge.

He said “not guilty”. He also said “not guilty” when accused of recklessly driving a car towards gardai Joanne Doherty and Shane Lavelle.

He uttered “guilty” when accused of dangerous driving of the ’98 car, causing the death of Gda McCallion.

He said “guilty” when the fourth charge was put to him – that he took the ’94 car without the permission of the owner.

McGrenaghan was also remanded in custody to the next sessions of the Circuit Court at the end of October.

Donegal County Council has again warned that water supplies will be subject to overnight restrictions while shortages persist.

Last night, there were disruptions to a number of areas served by the Lough Mourne scheme, particularly the Twin Towns, Gleneely, Tievebrack, Ballinacorr, Raphoe, Lifford and Liscooley.

The whole of the area served by the Greencastle Water Supply was also affected.

The council is repeating its appeal to people to conserve water where possible.

New, lower drink driving limits have been voted through the Dail – and will become law within a matter of weeks.

This is despite strong opposition from publicans and the Vintners’ Association – who say the lower limit will be the ‘final nail in the coffin’ for the pub industry. However, Donegal based road safety organisations PARC and A-Ceart have been advocating the move for some time.

The Road Traffic Bill will bring the drink-driving limit from 80 mg to 50 mg.

The road safety organisation PARC, which was founded by Donegal woman Susan Grey has welcomed the new law. Susan Grey was in the Dail last night to see the new bill pushed through. She says it’s a major breakthrough, but there is one loophole that must be addressed……….

County Manager Michael Mc Loone has promised councillors in Buncrana that the temporary traveller halting site at Lisfannon outside the town will not be made permanent, and he will sign a binding order to that effect.

Council officials are involved in negotiations with a view towards developing a permanent alternative, and while Mr Mc Loone would not comment on whether or not there was a “Plan B”, he said the council is committed to fuinding a permanent solution.

Part of the probem, he says, is that the emergency sites such as Lisfannon were introduced over 10 years ago by an executive order not requiring planning permission. Now, all planning requirements must be adhered to.

However, he says 16 other sites have been closed, and Lisfannonn will be closed too….

City of Derry Airport has announced it is to enter into a new partnership with a private firm.

It is hoped the deal will end the financial burden on Londonderry ratepayers within seven years.

The airport currently costs Derry City Council £3.5m a year.

The council said in was in the final stages of discussions with a Balfour Beatty Group Company, about entering a management contract.

General Manager of Balfour Beatty, Clive Coleman, says he hoped their would be new routes from Derry.

Buncrana Town Council has agreed to seek a spur from Project Kelvin to improve broadband connecticvity in the town.

The proposal to pursue the connection was raised by outgoing Mayor Cllr Lee Tedstone, who said the council can secure the spur from its own resources.

Cllr Tedstone says he, and the new Mayor Cllr Padraig Mac Lochlainn will pursue this vigorously, and he’s hopeful of real progress by the end of next year……………..

The Business Watch security model which has been running in Letterkenny for a number of years is to be extended into other areas of Donegal. Plans to operate the model in Gweedore are at an advanced stage, with the Finn Valley also being considered as a venue.

Meanwhile, Gardai and Letterkenny Chamber will host a Summer Crime Prevention seminar at the CoLab building on the Letterkenny Institute of Technology campus at 7 o’clock this evening.

Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Paul Wallace says it’s important that all businesses review their security, and that’s an important element of the Business Watch model……..

Buncrana’s newest councillor took her seat in the chamber yesterday. Sinn Fein Cllr Mary Kelly, a cycling proficiency teacher, was coopted to replace Darren Lawlor, who resigned this year for personal reasons.

Cllr Kelly became involved in community activism when a campaign began to have water from the Fullerton Pollan Dam brought to Ballymagorry, and has been associated with a number of campaigns since then.

She has also taken part in a number of deputations to the council chamber over the years, and says that will stand her in good stead as she learns the ropes……