Gardai walk out over station conditions

Three gardai posted near the border with Northern Ireland have abandoned their police station which they claim is in a state of ‘‘terrible disrepair’’, it emerged today.

The gards yesterday carried out a long-standing threat to leave the station in Muff, Co Donegal, which is just over the border from Derry.

A gardai spokesman said policing levels in the area were unaffected and that, pending refurbishment work, the three officers should be back at their posts within a week.

Michael O’Boyce, of the Garda Representative Association, said: ‘‘It is an old building that has gone into a terrible state of disrepair.

‘‘Part of the building which was used as living quarters was classified as a health hazard back in the 1970s and has been vacant since then.’’

The police spokesman said: ‘‘We are aware that three officers left the garda station in Muff yesterday. They will in the meantime work from the nearby garda station at Buncrana.

‘‘Policing levels have been maintained in the Muff sub-district and plans are under way for the refurbishment of the station. It is anticipated that the officers will return in the coming week.’’

Mr O’Boyce said that money allocated for refurbishment of Muff garda station in the early 1980s went on combatting a dry-rot problem.

The officers set a deadline of last November for improvements to be carried out but, after negotiations, were satisfied that progress had been made, he added.

Mr O’Boyce said: ‘‘That was six months ago and nothing has happened so they left yesterday.

‘‘The policing in the area won’t be greatly affected, though I’m sure the local people won’t be happy at having no garda station there.

‘‘We have got a commitment that a temporary building will be put on the site in the next few days but it is only a short-term measure. The solution is to acquire a new building.’’