Workman threatened by loyalists
A West Belfastman working on the loyalist Old Warren Estate in
Lisburn was threatened by loyalists and forced out of the sub
contracting job he was doing.
The man is concerned that as an ex-prisoner, who served some time
on remand, he was under surveillance and that his details are in
the hands of loyalists.
The incident happened last Thursday when the man arrived in the
loyalist estate, a UDA stronghold.
The man said that ``two men approached me and told me in the
nicest possible way `we are giving you advice and it's good
advice... it won't be too healthy for you if you continue working
here'''.
Although the men didn't seem to be armed the workman took their
threat seriously and believes it was a threat against his life
and not an extortion attempt.
On the Tuesday prior to the threat the workman, who is a plumber
working for a sub-contractor doing work for the Housing
Executive, became suspicious that he was being watched.
``On the Tuesday I went to a house in another part of Lisburn when
I saw a man with a walkie-talkie standing in the rain outside it.
I remember the incident because the man was standing out in the
rain. As I left the house the man asked me if I had asked him the
time. I told him I hadn't and walked on''.
The plumber says he didn't think much of this incident but now
wonders if he was under surveillance and that the threat was
directed against him as he is an ex-prisoner.
The man has since reported the incident to his solicitor.
Poleglass Sinn Fein councillor Ita Grey said she believes that
loyalists were behind the threat and ``it is a timely warning to
nationalists not to take the loyalist ceasefires for granted''.
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