Ulster
Unionist MLA Stewart condemns latest attacks
East Antrim
Ulster Unionist MLA John Stewart has condemned those behind the latest violent
attacks in Larne.
John Stewart
MLA said:
“The latest
incidents of arson attacks on property and violent assaults on individuals are
completely deplorable and I condemn them without equivocation. The police
must be given 100% support from the entire community in tackling the gangsters-
whether they are operating with or without the sanction and protection of
paramilitaries. In meetings Ulster Unionist representatives have had with
the police, we have been assured that action is being taken to put the squeeze
on the small number of gangsters who continue to put Larne in the news for all
the wrong reasons.
“Myself and Roy
Beggs MLA, together with Larne Ulster Unionist Councillors Maureen Morrow, Mark
McKinty and Andy Wilson have had a series of discussions with the PSNI in
recent times. Superintendent Darrin Jones has been left in no doubt that
we support the strongest possible police response to the continuing criminality
in the Larne area, which stems from a fallout amongst criminals and has little,
if anything to do with loyalism as such. There is of course a continuing
presence of so called loyalist paramilitaries in the area, and they - like the
republican gangs still in existence- need to be rooted out and dealt with under
the law. There should be no place for any of these groups in our society -
they must be defeated and disbanded.
“Of course all
political parties should be unequivocal in their condemnation of these attacks.
Unfortunately, Oliver McMullan, the former Sinn Fein MLA, has a political
agenda which clouds everything he does and says. He is also no longer an
elected representative so would be ineligible for the forum of elected
representatives which he is so keen to see established. If he is going to
continue to issue statements and if the press are going to continue to quote
him, then why has he been so silent on other recent local stories, such as the
conviction of a republican bomb maker or the exposure of a large scale fuel
laundering and tax evasion scam?
“Dealing
with these problems is something which needs the support and cooperation of the entire
community and I know the PSNI will be launching a major initiative in the next
few weeks.
“The Ulster
Unionist Party are crystal clear in our condemnation of criminality from
whatever source it comes from. We will continue to support the police in
the difficult task they have and expect to see action taken to put the drug
dealers, the extortionists, the arsonists, the fuel launderers and all the
criminal gangsters out of business and into prison, which is where they belong.”
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