Sinn Féin raid 'was for sake of democracy': Paisley Jnr

A police raid on Sinn Féin offices at Stormont which led to the suspension of devolution in Northern Ireland had to take place for the sake of democracy, it was claimed today.

As Sinn Féin denounced a Police Ombudsman report which challenged their claim that the October 2002 raid was politically-motivated, Democratic Unionist Policing Board member Ian Paisley Junior insisted it had to take place because the personal details of prison officers, police and politicians had fallen into the hands of republicans.