GARDAI have been unable to trace a woman who suffered a miscarriage in a Dublin city bed and breakfast.

The foetus was discovered in a room in a B&B at Gardiner Street on the city's northside on Friday afternoon. Efforts to trace the mother are continuing amid concerns for her wellbeing. Gardai have stressed that their inquiries are not in any way criminal and have urged the woman to seek medical help.

Two charged over heroin haul TWOmen have appeared before Dublin district court charged in connection with a 1m drugs seizure on the M50. The discovery was made when gardai from the National Drugs Unit stopped a car at the toll plaza on Thursday night and found five kilos of heroin with an estimated street value of 1m. The two men, aged 27 and 29, were charged under drug trafficking legislation yesterday afternoon.

Man killed in Wicklow crash

A 23-YEAR-OLDman was killed in a two-car accident in Co Wicklow yesterday. The accident happened at around 8.30am on the N11, part of which was closed to traffic for the rest of the day. Three passengers who were travelling in the car with the man were uninjured. The female driver of the other car was taken to St Vincent's Hospital, but her injuries are not believed to be lifethreatening.

Man, 20, dies in house fire A 20-YEAR-OLDman was killed after fire swept through his house in Co Antrim yesterday morning. The man was taken from the burning house in Bendooragh by an ambulance crew but died later. Two women, believed to be his mother and sister, and two young children escaped from the house uninjured.

Police are examining the cause of the fire, which started just before 7.30am, but are not treating it as suspicious.

Quakers meet in Ireland

OVER 300 Quakers from around the world have gathered in Dublin for a nine-day conference which began yesterday.

Members of the Religious Society of Friends from 40 countries will attend the conference, which has its opening ceremony in King's Hospital School in Palmerstown today. It is the second time the event has been held in Ireland, the last time being in Waterford in 1964.

Gardai probe Longford blaze

GARDAI are treating as suspicious a blaze that broke out in derelict buildings in Longford town yesterday morning.

The fire started at around 9am at Kelly's Lane in the centre of town. Nobody was injured. Three units of the fire services were called to tackle the blaze, which involved up to four derelict buildings.

Famous Dublin hotels close

TWO of Dublin's bestknown hotels are closing their doors tomorrow with the loss of over 600 jobs. Jury's Hotel and the Berkeley Court in Ballsbridge in Dublin 4 are hosting their last guests before the two adjacent sites are put up for sale. Staff at the hotels accepted a redundancy deal.