Forced out of home by unionist thugs

A 32-year-old Catholic woman has been forced to leave her County Down home following weeks of loyalist intimidation.

A hoax device was left outside the woman's home at Railway Street in Comber on Thursday 10 June and her car was also set alight.

The woman, who is too afraid to be named, said this was the latest in a series of threats since she moved into the area in May and she blamed unionist paramilitaries for attacking her simply because she is a Catholic.

"I have lived in Comber for ten years without any problems and I only moved into Railway Street last year," said the woman. "Within 48 hours of moving into the house the PSNI warned me that a female caller had phoned a threat against me. She said she was from the UFF and that they would take military action against me if I didn't leave the area immediately."

The woman told how she was defiant at first but after the events of last week she cannot stand it anymore.

"I have not been able to sleep since then and I cannot continue to live like this. I will be seeing the Housing Executive about getting moved."

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin South Antrim councillor Martin Meehan has accused the PSNI of trying to falsify sectarian attacks on nationalist homes in Randalstown.

Speaking to An Phoblacht, Meehan said three nationalist homes have been attacked with pipe bombs in the Randalstown area in the past week and that "the PSNI are trying to blame so-called republican micro groupings.

"This is the PSNI trying to cover up the fact that unionist paramilitaries are behind the attacks on nationalist homes. Everyone in the street knows loyalists are behind these sectarian threats so why are the PSNI trying to put new spin on them by telling members of the media they suspect republican micro groupings?"

Meehan added that international observors will be in South Antrim over the marching season to document the behaviour of unionist groupings.