Family with no criminal links joins witness protection

AN ENTIRE family with no criminal links has joined the State’s witness protection programme.

It is believed to be the first time that a family has joined the scheme and the first time it has been used to protect people not involved in crime.

It is understood that the family, believed to be from Dublin, was taken into protective custody after the father received a death threat from a criminal gang for making a statement to gardaí about a shooting incident that he witnessed.