PSNI body search of Council Chair slammed

West Tyrone Sinn Féin MP Pat Doherty has described the stopping and body searching of Jarlath McNulty, the Sinn Féin Chair of Strabane District Council, and John Kelly, the Chair of Strabane National Graves, at a checkpoint on the Strabane to Lifford Road on Tuesday as blatant political harassment.

"The representatives of no other political party are treated in this way, which speaks volumes of the overtly political nature of the PSNI," said Doherty.

"This is but the latest example of a major step in the harassment of Sinn Féin members in the Strabane and Clady areas.

"The unprecedented vilification campaign being waged against Sinn Féin by our political opponents and a mainly hostile and compliant media is undoubtedly providing the green light to crown forces to engage in a massive step up in the harassment and repression of republicans."