What the papers say

John Laverty, Belfast Telegraph assistant editor, takes a look at what is making the headlines in Friday's morning papers.

Bird flu has come home to roost, so to speak, with many of the national newspapers giving it front page coverage.

The Guardian says that the virus found in a dead swan in Scotland will "almost certainly" spread to wild birds across the UK and then threaten Britain's poultry industry.

The Times expresses concern that the swan had been dead for at least eight days before being tested, and that it took a week to confirm the virus as the H5NI strain.

The paper notes that the laboratory in Surrey, where the bird was examined, remained closed over the weekend.

"If this is Britain's 'rapid response' plan in action, bird flu may yet come to feel very much at home in this country," it says.

Both the Sun and the Belfast Telegraph reflect the anxious wait for the tests on the six dead swans found in Northern Ireland on Thursday.

The Sun assures us there is "no need to panic", as so far there have been no confirmed cases of bird flu anywhere on the island of Ireland.

None of the other local papers feels suitably concerned to mention the bird flu scare on their front pages.

'Mounting concern'

The Irish News reports that PSNI officers have been issued with stab-proof vests for the first time.

It says the decision to equip the 9,000-strong force with body armour comes amid "mounting concern" over knife crime in Northern Ireland.

The News Letter and Daily Ireland, meanwhile, focus on Thursday's announcement in Armagh that the Northern Ireland Assembly will be recalled next month.

There's a typical response from Ian Paisley in the News Letter, warning Taoiseach Bertie Ahern not to "interfere in Ulster's affairs" by attempting to impose a form of joint authority on the province.

But the Daily Ireland believes Thursday's events have put the pressure on Mr Paisley.

It says his "intolerance" serves to underline the fact that the blockage in the peace process "lies with one party only" - the DUP.

But the Belfast Telegraph believes the pressure is on both the DUP and Sinn Fein to strike a deal.

"Both parties have much to gain from the restoration of the assembly and the ending of direct rule," it says.

Several papers give prominence to the horror attack outside an Essex hospital, when a nurse was stabbed to death in a frenzied attack.

The Mirror reports that Cheryl Moss was stabbed 12 times when she stepped out for a cigarette break.

'PC gone mad'

The Daily Mail reports that a boy of 10 has been charged for calling his friend racist names in the school playground but quoted a judge as saying that the move is "political correctness gone mad".

The Daily Express meanwhile focuses on the ruling that thousands of immigrants must be given council houses.

It says that the ruling will cost taxpayers millions of pounds and "open the door to skivers".

Finally, the Daily Mirror has discovered that Mike Baldwin is actually the 100th person to die on Coronation Street, and lists every one of them, starting off with May Hardman back in December 1960.

Mind you, I think they are taking just a little bit of journalistic licence by including Harriet the budgie, who died of shock 16 years ago.

Some characters, they say, "will be missed more than others".