SDLP candidate outraged by attack on party worker

AN SDLP Assemblyman has said he is “disgusted and furious” after a volunteer who was putting up posters for his party was verbally abused in Omagh.

West Tyrone by-election candidate Daniel McCrossan said the party worker was subjected to a tirade and had his ladder thrown in a river at Campsie Road yesterday morning.

Police said they cautioned a man for criminal damage following the incident.

Five candidates are contesting the West Tyrone by-election, which is being held because of the resignation of Sinn Fein’s Barry McElduff over his Kingsmill loaf tweet.

West Tyrone MLA Mr McCrossan ( right) said: “I’m disgusted and furious that a member of my team, putting up posters, was assaulted in Omagh.

“He was approached by three men, who then pushed him off the ladder when he was at the top of it. They then stole his lad- ders and fired them into the River Strule. Thankfully he is okay.

“Nothing and certainly no idiot will prevent me and my party representing the people of West Tyrone.”

Mr McCrossan said the man was out putting up posters after midnight to limit disruption to pedestrians and traffic.

The t hree men t hen approached the volunteer and began hurling insults at him about the SDLP.

“He was simply out doing the task that he was asked to do, minding his own business and then these three idiots come up the street and hurl abuse at him,” he said.

“Then they take it to a completely different level and push the ladder he was standing on. He could have seriously injured himself by them doing that.

“They clearly had no regard for his safety whatsoever, just blindness and ignorance.”

UUP councillor Allan Rainey said he was outraged by the incident.

“I fully condemn it,” he said. “Everyone has a right to em- bark upon an election campaign and they should be allowed to do it with impunity.”

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein candidate Orfhlaith Begley, who condemned the attack on the SDLP worker, said many of her own posters had been taken down and damaged in Omagh town centre on Saturday night.

“This is a disgraceful attack on democracy but we won’t be deterred,” she tweeted.