DISSIDENT 'STIRRING'

A slogan in Irish was quickly removed from the Reformation mural by residents on Sunday morning after it appeared overnight.

And on Monday, Councillor Carla Lockhart and Anne Hanlon, chair of the residents' association, scrubbed '32CSM' off the wall at the rear of the community building.

That completely non-sectarian mural was painted by young people from the Glo Project in 2005.

Councillor Lockhart said: "This was sheer sectarianism aimed at inflaming community strife.

“No purpose other than the stoking of community tension and sectarian division could be served by such behaviour.

"There is no political motive behind and no political agenda served by such attacks."

She added: "Those who carried out this spate of graffiti attacks only serve to provide further proof of the sectarian nature of their current activities.

"Their goal so far has been to kill members of a police service that enjoys the support of the entire community, to plant bombs where it would be known in advance that young children would likely be in the area, to exploit children in riot situations and now to try to create sectarian division between communities.

“That is not a pathway or strategy towards uniting anything. Rather it simply reflects a state of mind that refuses to live in peace with anyone and needs violence and conflict in order to get through the day.”

She went on: “In overwhelming numbers the community is standing together as one in opposing these individuals. I have every confidence that the people of Mourneview and the rest of Lurgan will continue to do so and to state as one that these people will not drag us back to the past.”

Anne Hanlon, chair of the Mourneview Community Association said: "There's no doubt this was an attempt to stir up trouble.

"The residents have worked hard over the past number of years to remove the paramilitary slogans and flags from Mourneview.

"The estate is looking well and this just spoils it - we don't need this, we just want to live in peace."