Dallat slammed over flags issue

Mark Brown, Coleraine branch leader of the National Front said: “John Dallat said it was not his practice to get into arguments about flags. It is the only practice Mr Dallat excels in.

“It’s not often he focuses his views on the actual facts and reality of the situation in Killowen such as the endless harassment of Protestant families and the bullying of schoolboys who dare to walk through Somerset Drive with Rangers tops on.

“He would rather rant about flags flying in a predominantly Protestant area that has been destroyed by a gang of unemployable, drug users, alcoholics and the ‘blue bag brigade’. Are these the people Mr Dallat represents?

“The decent people of Killowen, Protestant and Catholic, who have lived side by side in unison for years, would rather that the elected politicians improve the living conditions of the area instead of forcing this wedge among them and tarnishing the area to their own deluded advantage.

“Is this what their generous salaries pay them to do?

“The National Front supports and encourages the flags and bunting erected each year to celebrate our Britishness and Protestant traditions, however we do encourage that our country’s flag be taken down to avoid it being used as a stick by Mr Dallat to beat the Protestant community with and to also avoid arousing these thugs who actually do terrorise that area, targetting innocent Protestants while drunk and intoxicated.”

DUP MLA Adrian McQuillan has also criticised Mr Dallat’s comments.

McQuillan told The Times: “This is not the first time Mr Dallat has raised the issue of flags.

“He should take an interest in his own area - in Kilrea - where a tricolour flies 12 months of the year.

“The flag in Kilrea doesn’t do much to entice people from other communities into the area, in fact it was flying earlier this month during the Black Saturday parade and during the jazz festival. I know that there residents from both sides who want to see it removed.”

The DUP man also questioned why Mr Leonard wished to involve the flags forum on the issue he said: “ Billy Leonard should note that the Flags Forum no longer exists, he is not keeping up with what is going on in his area.”