Loyalists threaten protestant community worker

A Protestant community worker in Derry was warned by police today about a loyalist threat to his security after he gave public support to a visit by the Irish President to a loyalist heartland yesterday.

Brian Dougherty is understood to have been told his home could be attacked, possibly with petrol bombs, because of hardline loyalist opposition to the visit by Mary McAleese.

Police sources said Mr Dougherty has been given security advice.

He is a member of a development group at a business and community park in the Tullyally area were Mrs McAleese carried out an official visit.

Catherine Cooke of the development group said its members could not understand why one person was being singled out for threats.

Despite opposition to the visit from loyalist hardliners - but no public protest - the Derry Lord Mayor, Mildred Garfield of the Democratic Unionist Party, welcomed the President to the city and accompanied her to Tullyally.

Mr Dougherty had been quoted as acknowledging such a visit could not have taken place even five years ago, but saying it was a sign Tullyally had matured.

He accepted some people might not have supported the visit but argued anything which might help improve social conditions in the area should be accepted.

Immediately after the visit he said he had not been surprised by the warm reception given to Mrs McAleese. ‘‘We are in Tullyally every day and we hear what people are saying.’’