Protest to be held in support of republican prisoner Tony Taylor at Free Derry Corner tonight

There will be a protest at Free Derry Corner tonight to protest the continued imprisonment and prison treatment of republican Tony Taylor.

The protest will take place at 7pm.

Mr Taylor is not currently allowed visitors from his family following an incident at Maghaberry Prison this week.

He has been on remand in Maghaberry since March 2016 following the revoking of his license by then Secretary of State Theresa Villiers.

At the time the Northern Ireland Office said his licence was revoked by the Parole Commission because of the risk he posed to the public.

Mr Taylor was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 1994 after he was seriously injured in a premature explosion in Derry.

He was released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

In 2011 he was sentenced to three years in jail for possession of a rifle. He was released in 2014.

Mr Taylor's solicitor Aiden Carlin has alleged that Mrs Lorraine Taylor was physically assaulted and verbally abused by a Prison Officer at Maghaberry this week.

He said that Mrs Taylor had been suspended from visiting him and that it would 'affect all visits'.

A Northern Ireland Prison Service Spokesperson said: “If a visitor has a complaint against a prison officer they should refer this to the PSNI and Prisoner Ombudsman, who will carry out an independent investigation.”

A PSNI spokesperson confirmed that the incident had been reported.

"On Tuesday 01 November Police received a report of an alleged assault on a woman at HMP Maghaberry that took place on Sunday 30 October.

"An investigation into the incident has commenced and there are no further details at this time."