Calvert retracts 'Gestapo' comments

ALDERMAN Cecil Calvert has retracted controversial comments made last Tuesday night in Lisburn Council during which he compared the behaviour of some police officers during a parade at Stoneyford to the 'Gestapo'.

In a statement issued after the Star reported the comments last week, the TUV councillor said: "I regret that in the heat of the moment I made a wholly inappropriate comparison between the conduct of the PSNI and that of the Gestapo. I therefore wish to withdraw these comments.

"I do, of course, reserve the right to criticise the police and indeed the debate in which the remarks were made was one proposed by another party of no confidence in the local commander."

A TUV spokesman added, "Considering some of the extreme comments made in the past about the police by DUP leadership figures we take no lectures from the DUP but commend Alderman Calvert for acknowledging that his remarks were inappropriate."

But DUP Councillor Paul Givan, who called for Mr Calvert to resign over ths issue, has challenged him to give his unequivocal support to the PSNI and withdraw his comments at the next full council meeting later this month.

He also challenged the TUV over their statement: "The TUV has sought to misrepresent the context in which these comments were made by stating they were said in the 'heat of the moment'. This is not the case" he claimed.

"Alderman Calvert made these comments without any provocation and despite being asked on at least four occasions he refused to say sorry and withdraw his remarks."

Mr Givan also claimed Mr Calvert had allegedly used similar language at a recent meeting of Stoneyford Community Association.

"So clearly the argument about heat of the moment loss of temper is incorrect" he said. "This is a repeated pattern, not a momentary loss of judgement.

"The TUV decision to stand by Alderman Calvert and commend him for withdrawing his remarks is utterly repugnant. They should be joining with the unanimous decision of Lisburn Council and disassociating themselves from Alderman Calvert."

And his party colleague, Alderman Edwin Poots, described the statement as 'pathetic' and 'nothing more than a self-serving damage limitation exercise'.

He said Mr Calvert had on a previous occasion referred to police as 'jack-boot boys'.

"This is a consistent theme, not a one-off heat of the moment outburst" he said.

He said people should be aware that Mr Calvert refused to retract his comments at the council meeting after they were made and had only done so after they were given a "wider airing".

"Jim Allister is very quick at firing terms like 'evil' and 'morally repugnant' about," he said. "What is his or the Deputy Keith Harbinson's explanation for this limp approach to one of his members, the Chairman of his Lagan Valley Association no less, referring to the police in the same terms as the mass-murderers of the Nazi regime? I know the people of Dromara and Dromore and throughout my constituency will be shocked at his comments, especially those who do or who have served in the Police."