Protest held in Derry over dissident threats to council staff

A protest rally has been held at the council offices in Derry after eleven of its staff were removed from their duties due to a threat from dissident republicans.

It emerged earlier this week that a group calling itself the IRA had issued a threat against council’s Community Safety Wardens.

Tommy McCourt, of the Rosemount Resource Centre, said that the threat had come in regards to allegations relating to information being passed onto the PSNI by the wardens.

News of the threat was met with widespread condemnation and the staff were removed from their duties.

A protest was held at the council offices on the Strand Road at lunchtime today (pictured above) where upwards of 150 council staff and union members attened to express their solidarity with the staff under threat.

Speaking at the protest, the council’s Chief Executive Sharon O’Connor said that threat had serious consequence for vulnerable people who depend on the wardens.

“We have had pensioners contact us saying what should we do if we need to phone someone,” she said.

“We have had to tell them, unfortunately, until the threat is lifted the community service wardens will not be able to respond to them. 

She added: “This is not a situation any of us are happy with we just want them to be able to get back to doing the valuable job they have been doing.”