SF man alleges security break-in

A Sinn Fein election candidate in Derry alleged today his house was broken into by British intelligence.

Former IRA hunger striker Raymond McCartney claimed on his return to his home last weekend that he discovered a notebook containing diagrams of his house.

Mr McCartney, who was due to contest the Foyle constituency for the party in the recently postponed Assembly Elections, produced two diagrams of keys to his house which he said were in the notebook.

“My family and I were away over the weekend and when we returned home on Sunday night I noticed a notebook lying in the kitchen,” he said.

“On examination of this book I found it contained sketches and the precise measurements of the keys to my doors.

“It is obvious that someone had illegally entered my home and had taken the measurements of the locks on my doors.

“I believe that this burglary was carried out by members of British intelligence who have increased their surveillance operations of me since I was nominated to stand as a candidate in the recent election.”

Sinn Fein will raise the incident with The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, who is due to visit Derry’s Guildhall tonight.

Mr McCartney, who was questioned in April 2002 about the break-in at a top security Special Branch office in Belfast, said he was “shaken” by the incident and was seeking legal advice.

“Given the history of collusion between British intelligence and the Special Branch with unionist death squads, my family now believe that apart from the security of our home being compromised this information will be handed over to unionist paramilitaries,” he continued.

“Accordingly I have been in contact with my solicitor seeking advice as to what options are open to me to establish on what basis my home was burgled and my family’s right to privacy violated.”

Raymond McCartney was a former Officer Commanding of the IRA prisoners in the Maze Prison.

He also took part in the first republican hunger strike in 1980.