Police and Army Technical team landrovers at Ederowen Park, Gallaigh yesterday where a search was carried out of a house under the Terrorism Act
SINN Féin says questions need to be answered by the PSNI about the use of British soldiers yesterday during searches in the Galliagh area of Derry.
The party’s security and justice spokesman Gerry Kelly MLA said: “I intend to raise the use of British soldiers’ in house searches in Derry with the Chief Constable at the earliest opportunity.
“The Good Friday Agreement and the promise of a new dispensation for policing was about making policing accountable to the community and did not include the British army.
“I want to know at what level in the PSNI was the request made to bring in the presence of the British army.
“The use of British soldiers in house searches is unacceptable and only makes it more difficult for political leaders and others to achieve genuine policing with the community,” said Mr Kelly, who is a member of the Policing Board.
Police have dismissed as bogus reports that British Army soldiers were “back on the streets” of Derry yesterday.
British soldiers who were with PSNI detectives were explosives experts from the Army Technical team.
Chief Inspector Tony Callaghan said: “Searches carried out in connection with the investigation of serious crime in Derry have concluded.
“There were no arrests; however a number of items were taken away for further examination.
“Due to the suspected presence of munitions or explosives, military specialists were deployed in support of police.
“The role of these military personnel is to search for munitions and explosive devices which, if located, will then be dealt with by the army bomb disposal officer. The military used are specifically trained in this type of high risk search, thus ensuring that such searches are conducted in as safe a manner as possible.”
Local people were angry with dissidents.
“It makes me sick to hear apologists for terror giving off about the Brits being back here,” said one local man in Galliagh this evening who lives close to the search area.
“The only reason they are here is because some people still think killing people is the way to go. It’s not. It’s the so-called dissidents who are to blame for security operations, not the police. It’s a joke, a bad joke.”
