Catholic DPP members stay put after threats

Six Catholic members of a District Policing Partnership, who received death threats from dissident republicans, have refused to resign, it emerged today.

Dolores Kelly, the SDLP vice chairman of Craigavon DPP, said that she and her fellow members were staying put.

“Two of the individuals are party colleagues and they certainly have no intention of resigning.

“The other independent members are very strong people and they won’t be letting threats like this deter them from their work.”

Last year, all members of the partnership received a police message that they were being targeted, but the latest threats are the first specifically against Catholic members.

It is the third time that Mrs Kelly has been threatened since she was re-elected to Craigavon Borough Council in last November’s Assembly poll.

Mrs Kelly said: “Obviously I see it as a worrying development and we have to take advice and precautions, but like many other people I’m determined to stay on as a member of the DPP.

“SDLP members are staying on. We can’t abandon other members of the nationalist community who are serving on DPPs or the Policing Board.

“What sort of message would that give to young members of the Catholic community who want to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland?

“That ultimately is what the attacks are all about. To my mind that shows that policing is working.

"These people are picking soft targets as cowards do.”

The threats are the latest in a campaign of intimidation against mainly Catholic members of DPPs across the North.

Earlier this week, SDLP chairman of Strabane DPP Tom McBride received a letter bomb in the post. He too, has refused to resign.