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06/07/2009
MP McCrea Told Of RIRA Death Threat
South Antrim MP Willy McCrea has criticised the "clumsy" manner in which the PSNI told him of a dissident republicans assassination plot.
The DUP man said officers delivered the warning to his home last week, while he was in Westminster.
A letter marked 'confidential' was given to Mr McCrea's wife, detailing the threat against his life.
"There was nothing confidential about this note as it was completely open for my wife and family to read," he said.
"This, understandably, caused my wife and family considerable distress."
According to the police, the Real IRA is planning to murder the Unionist politician.
Mr McCrea (pictured) said: "It is not the threat that I find so alarming, for republicans have always hated my determined stand against them, but I am shocked to have been informed by the police in such a clumsy and unprofessional manner.
"I think it is totally wrong, it was treating a sensitive message like that in a very careless way.
"You try to guard your family from some of these things, they worry about you and carry it in their hearts all the time."
In March this year two young soldiers were gunned down by the Real IRA in Mr McCrea's constituency.
The MP said he believes the PSNI's handling of the ongoing threat shows it is not being taken a seriously as it should.
Citing the abolition of police full time reserves and the withdraw of personal protection weapons for former security service workers, Mr McCrea said: "The whole thing in the round smacks to me of not treating this in the serious manner they should."
Discussing the current danger to his life, the MP said: "We need to crush these people or they will consign Northern Ireland to another long period of intimidation and threat and most people want to leave that behind."
A police spokesman said that although they do not publicly comment on the security of individuals, the PSNI would never ignore anything that puts a person at risk.
"If we receive information that a person's life may be at risk, we will inform them accordingly," he added.
(PR/JM)
The DUP man said officers delivered the warning to his home last week, while he was in Westminster.
A letter marked 'confidential' was given to Mr McCrea's wife, detailing the threat against his life.
"There was nothing confidential about this note as it was completely open for my wife and family to read," he said.
"This, understandably, caused my wife and family considerable distress."
According to the police, the Real IRA is planning to murder the Unionist politician.
Mr McCrea (pictured) said: "It is not the threat that I find so alarming, for republicans have always hated my determined stand against them, but I am shocked to have been informed by the police in such a clumsy and unprofessional manner.
"I think it is totally wrong, it was treating a sensitive message like that in a very careless way.
"You try to guard your family from some of these things, they worry about you and carry it in their hearts all the time."
In March this year two young soldiers were gunned down by the Real IRA in Mr McCrea's constituency.
The MP said he believes the PSNI's handling of the ongoing threat shows it is not being taken a seriously as it should.
Citing the abolition of police full time reserves and the withdraw of personal protection weapons for former security service workers, Mr McCrea said: "The whole thing in the round smacks to me of not treating this in the serious manner they should."
Discussing the current danger to his life, the MP said: "We need to crush these people or they will consign Northern Ireland to another long period of intimidation and threat and most people want to leave that behind."
A police spokesman said that although they do not publicly comment on the security of individuals, the PSNI would never ignore anything that puts a person at risk.
"If we receive information that a person's life may be at risk, we will inform them accordingly," he added.
(PR/JM)
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