Death threats over McArdle role

Death threats have been issued to Sinn Féin members linked to the controversial appointment of an IRA killer to the role of ministerial adviser at Stormont, the party has announced.

The newly appointed adviser Mary McArdle, the minister herself Caral Ní Chuilín, north Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly and staff at the party’s offices in the north of the city have all been threatened by a group calling themselves the Orange Volunteers.

Mr Kelly said a caller said bombs had been left outside his and Ms Ní Chuilín’s homes, but that police have not found anything suspicious.

“We’ve just received threats to our office in north Belfast which said there were bombs outside both Caral Ní Chuilín’s home and my own, that there was a threat against the life of Mary McArdle and that they were going to kill people working in our office when they get the chance,” he said.