Treat Real IRA asurgently as bin Laden

Thus DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson urged Prime Minister David Cameron in the House of Commons last week.

The Prime Minister said he had a strong view about the Real IRA show of strength in Londonderry and that the PSNI should pursue the culprits.

Mr Donaldson asked: “In the context of counter-terrorism, if our allies can take out bin Laden in Pakistan and we can hit targets in Libya, why cannot we arrest a balaclava-clad terrorist who stands in a graveyard in Londonderry, in the United Kingdom, and threatens to kill police officers and destroy the political process in Northern Ireland?”

The Prime Minister replied: “As the right hon. Gentleman knows, I take a very strong view that what we saw in Londonderry is not acceptable and is an offence that the police should pursue.

“The Police Service of Northern Ireland is now well funded, well backed and an excellent police service, and I would encourage it in its work.”

The Prime Minister also rejected a demand by Labour MP David Blunkett that all police resources be concentrated against jihadism saying: “To me, it does not seem right to say that all the police’s attention should be on this issue; we have a serious situation in Northern Ireland as well. At all times, we are balancing the risks.”