Belfast City Council won't say if it holds information on who was in City Hall on night of portrait vandalism
Belfast City Council has declined to answer questions about whether it was approached by the PSNI for information about who attended and event at which a portrait for a former DUP lord mayor was vandalised – and whether it holds any record of who was in the building on the night in question.
On Monday, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said that attempts by police to obtain a list of attendees from the external group responsible for hosting the event were unsuccessful.
Prosecutors also said that a witness statement by Sinn Fein’s chief whip – who had spoken directly to an individual she referenced in an email to police – “recorded that he had in fact made no admission to being at the event and had denied any knowledge of the damage”.
The area of City Hall where the damage to the portrait occurred was not covered by CCTV as “the relevant camera had been out of service for some time”, the PPS said.
The News Letter asked Belfast City Council if it was approached by police for any information it held on those in attendance, such as a register or CCTV of those entering the premises. Officials were also asked if there is there a requirement for guests at events to sign in – and if not, how the council is able to make sure its events are secure or to investigate incidents such as this.
A spokesperson said: “Belfast City Council cooperated fully with the police investigation into this matter. A review of general security arrangements within Belfast City Hall was undertaken following the incident, and a number of improvements were made throughout the building as a result”.