Ardoyne republican receives death threats

North Belfast Sinn Féin Assembly member Kathy Stanton on Wednesday hit out after unionist paramilitaries issued death threats to Ardoyne republican Eddie Copeland and his girlfriend.

"Last week, Eddie Copeland was visited by the PSNI and told that he was under threat from unionist paramilitaries," said Stanton. "Yesterday, a Belfast newsroom received a call accompanied by a code word saying that a bomb had been left at Dunnes Stores on Flax Street and that the target was Eddie Copeland's girlfriend, who works in the store. The store was evacuated and considerable disruption was caused to the local community. The woman has since felt unable to resume work.'

Eddie Copeland has long been the target of unionist paramilitary gangs and the Crown Forces and has in the past been seriously injured in a bomb attack carried out by unionists and a shooting carried out by a British soldier. But Stanton said the decision by unionist paramilitaries to turn their attentions to his girlfriend is a deeply worrying development.

"I am calling on unionist political leaders to begin showing some leadership on these sorts of issues," she said. "In recent weeks, we have seen unionist paramilitaries returning to attacking nationalists and republicans with pipe bombs yet the response of political unionism has been very poor. Unionist politicians must act and act now to ensure that this sort of activity does not escalate even further as we enter the summer months."