Call to name and shame racist paramilitary groups

Police in the North may name and shame paramilitary groups whose members are involved in racist attacks, it emerged today.

Chief Constable Hugh Orde told a public meeting with the Northern Ireland Policing Board in Newcastle, Co Down, that members of some loyalist groups were involved in violence against eastern Europeans.

“We are seeing some evidence at a local level of some of these groups moving towards attacking people from the Eastern European communities,” he told Ulster Unionist deputy leader Danny Kennedy.

He later told independent board member Dawn Purvis there had been over 100 arrests since April 1 for racial crimes.

Chief Constable Orde also said his officers were responding to the racist threat at a local level because tactics which worked well in an area like Dungannon may not be suitable for Belfast.

“What we will look at is whether we should label some of the groups involved in such activity,” he warned.

“It may not be specific to one group. Certainly you find with homophobic crime a lot of it takes place in Derry and a lot of racist attacks take place in south Belfast.

“But if people believe groups are organising, or are involved in a specific incident, we may consider saying this.”

Ms Purvis, a member of the loyalist Progressive Unionist Party, condemned attacks on ethnic minorities.

“Racism is an issue which must be addressed collectively by the community,” she said.

“It is not an individual policing issue. I know a lot of colleagues and friends are working hard at a local level to address this.”