Ombudsman finds Larne police handled protest correctly

It has also emerged that police had planned in advance how the demonstration - said to be a show of strength against those believed to be involved in burglaries and other criminal activities - should be handled.

The matter of how Larne police dealt with the parade on Sunday, July 26 has been the subject of an investigation by the Ombudsman’s office since last summer.

Allegations had been made that police officers “led” the protesters to various homes, while those inside felt threatened by a crowd of an estimated 80 people.

Complaints were made that Larne PSNI were guilty of “vigilante policing” and “assisting offenders” by permitting the demonstration to stop outside a number of homes.

The Larne Times has learned that the Police Ombudsman’s Office has now completed its investigation and has found no wrongdoing on the part of Larne police.

A spokesman for the Ombudsman’s office said: “After receiving a number of complaints about the police handling of the protest, the Police Ombudsman's Office conducted an investigation into the issues raised.

“We secured statements from the officers involved, reviewed police documentation relating to the protest and analysed video footage of the events supplied by both the police and complainants.

“On the basis of this evidence, we found that police had drawn up advance plans for the policing of the protest. These involved minimising the potential for disorder and gathering evidence so that any offences committed could be properly investigated.

“We found that the individual officers involved had acted in accordance with these plans. As a result there was no evidence of misconduct by any of the officers involved.”

When questioned as to whether the Ombudsman’s Office had finished its investigation, Larne’s PSNI Area Commander, Chief Inspector Ryan Henderson, told members of Larne DPP at last Thursday night’s public meeting in Cairnalbanagh that it was “not his place” to reveal the contents of the report.

DPP member, Councillor Andy Wilson formally asked that the DPP should seek a copy from the Ombudsman’s Office.