UUP man to return military medal in protest at RIR move

An Ulster Unionist Party assembly member is planning to hand back his British military service medal in protest at the partial disbandment of the Royal Irish Regiment.

Michael Copeland said he would be travelling to London tomorrow to return his Ulster Defence Regiment to the British government.

The move is part of a unionist campaign of opposition to the scaling back of the RIR, the successor of the UDR.

The regiment is being partially disbanded as part of the demilitarisation of Northern society in response to the completion of IRA decommissioning.