Republican credibility damaged following threats says Foster

Ulster Unionist Party honorary secretary Arlene Foster has insisted that threats made by republican paramilitaries against Catholic members of the new community policing body are a major blow to Sinn Fein’s credibility.

The warning followed an emergency meeting in Cookstown where one of the 26 District Policing Partnerships set up to monitor police performance is based.

Senior police officers told the body that mainstream republicans planned an intimidation campaign against all nationalists on the board.

Nine out of the 15 members believe they are under threat.

Arlene Foster said: "This raises questions as to whether the mainstream republican approach to this process is to further the struggle by keeping the paramilitary wing while participating in politics.''

The alert comes just days after an independent DPP member in Fermanagh quit when he was threatened by dissident republicans.

(MB)