Anger over South Armagh helicopter crash

Sinn Féin candidate for the Slievegullion area, Mary Campbell has voiced very serious concerns at last Thursay's crash landing by a Lynx British Army Helicopter on Sturgan Hilltop lookout base, just outside Camlough, South Armagh. The chopper came to rest positioned precariously on a hillside close to the British Army spy post.

She totally refuted the story peddled by the British Army that a mail bag had been sucked into the machine while on the mountain.

"I have spoken to residents throughout the area, who have told me that this helicopter first got into difficulty while flying over Camlough lake," she said. "It was not travelling in the direction of Sturgan hilltop, but then when serious noise began to emit from the helicopter, it then made its way to the hilltop base."

Campbell saud that residents are extremely angry that the pilot of this helicopter risked the lives of many people simply to make his way to the nearest Army base.

"Had this helicopter had total mechanical failure while on its way to this base, we could be talking about loss of lives of people on the ground," she said.

"The people of this area put in daily danger with the thousands of yearly flights to and from these unnecessary and extremely unsightly bases.

"People of my age group have seen nothing but hilltop bases, constant helicopter flights, and continuing harassment. Added to this is lies from the British Army at every turn about their activities in this part of Ireland.

"People in this area of all ages and political beliefs want these bases removed immediately, not empty promises of British Ministers of cosmetic demilitarisation."

Sinn Féin Assembly member for Newry/Armagh, Conor Murphy, demanded that all British Army helicopters in South Armagh be immediately grounded.

"This is not the first such incident of a British helicopter crashing near local homes," he said.

"There have been serious concerns expressed over a number of years about the safety record of British military equipment in South Armagh. There is no purpose to the continuing low level flights in the area and no purpose behind the ongoing presence of British spy posts on our hillsides."