Sinn Féin man slams 'murder bid'

A Sinn Féin councillor today accused loyalists of attempting to kill him and his family after their home was petrol-bombed.

Dessie Ward was with his mother and young brother when the house in Banbridge, Co Down, was attacked.

Nobody was hurt, but with security chiefs preparing to keep rival factions apart at a republican rally tonight in north Antrim, where there has been a series of attacks on Catholic homes, churches and pubs, it signalled a widening of the campaign of intimidation by loyalist paramilitaries.

Mr Ward, a member of Banbridge District Council, said he had no doubt there had been an attempt to kill him and his family and he urged Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley to intervene in a bid to end the violence.

Mr Paisley is also MP for North Antrim, whose constituency includes Ballymena, where tonight’s republican parade to mark the anniversary of the introduction of internment in 1971 is going ahead.

Mr Ward said: “The DUP can no longer hide behind anti-republican rhetoric as a tactic in avoiding thir responsibilities in ending this campaign of violence and intimidation.”

Tonight’s controversial march was given the go-ahead despite fierce loyalist and unionist opposition, but the organisers have been ordered to restrict the route to a mainly republican and nationalist part of the town.