Posters '˜cut down' as locals lament lighting

A number of DUP election posters in the wider Dromore and Dromara areas have been defaced or replaced, it has been claimed.
David Thompson (Conductor and Musical Director of Dromore and District Male Voice Choir) pictured with Dromore Councillor, Alderman Paul Rankin.David Thompson (Conductor and Musical Director of Dromore and District Male Voice Choir) pictured with Dromore Councillor, Alderman Paul Rankin.
David Thompson (Conductor and Musical Director of Dromore and District Male Voice Choir) pictured with Dromore Councillor, Alderman Paul Rankin.

The party locally confirmed it was aware of the apparent sabotage by person or persons unknown, this after a Gall Bog Road resident first flagged it up.

Claiming no particular political allegiance, the local man nonetheless condemned whoever was responsible for removing the posters.

He said he had found the posters at the roadside, each bearing signs of having been deliberately cut down.

Dromore councillor, Alderman Paul Rankin, said a number of Lagan Valley election candidate Brenda Hale’s posters had indeed been removed.

Another, in central Dromara, had been defaced, he said.

“I can comfirm a number of our posters have been removed and found lying in fields and in their place are other candidates’ posters ,” he said.

“Posters have been found lying on the ground over the hedges and it’s obvious the wind didn’t do it.”

Mr Rankin said defacing or removing Mrs Hale’s posters couldn’t detract from the positive response encountered on the doorsteps.

There, he said, some issues were clearly emerging as being of widespread concern. “When speaking to the people on the doorsteps in rural areas,” he said, “one issue that keeps coming up is the number of potholes on country roads.

“In villages and towns, one major source of discontent is the new LED streetlights that have been introduced.

People are not happy because they say there’s just darkness between the poles and they can’t even see to get in the front door.

“We would be calling for Transport NI to come out and assess the quality of the lighting in those areas where people are complaining. but otherwise we’re doing the only thing we can; we’re passing on individual complaints, sending them off to Transport NI.”