Londonderry: Names placed on bonfire 'sickening' says DUP MLA
He said the placing of names, particularly of a dead child, caused "nothing but hurt".Other names that have appeared on the same bonfire include what is understood to be a serving police officer; as well as Billy Wright, the founder of the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF), who was murdered in 1997; and Sinn Féin assembly member Pádraig Delargy.Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme, Middleton said the placing of names or the burning of flags or emblems on any bonfire is "not acceptable," regardless of "where it comes from". He added that these acts are carried out by "a small minority" and must be called out.
"Kyle died very tragically in a drowning incident 15 years ago when he was just 15 years old," Middleton told the programme on Wednesday. "That was a very traumatic experience, not only for the Tullyally and Drumahoe communities, but for the wider community as a city - we know the hurt that it caused."When we see that name, alongside the other names of PSNI officers and MLAs as well, it is entirely wrong, and we need to move beyond this race to the bottom, trying to cause the maximum amount of hurt to one side of the community or another."
'Reprehensible action'
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, condemned the incident. The federation described it as "a reprehensible action by people who are filled with hate and have nothing to offer the wider community".The PSNI said it was aware of material, including drawings of cross-hairs and people's names, being placed on the bonfire.Area Commander of Derry City & Strabane, Ch Supt Gillian Kearney, said: "The display of names with cross-hairs is an attempt to intimidate, which is unacceptable.""While we are not the lead agency, we remain committed to working with our partners, including local councils and other public and statutory bodies, as well as community representatives, to address issues linked to bonfires."The police said they would investigate all offences linked to the bonfire.John Caldwell retired from the PSNI in December 2024 on health grounds after he was shot near a leisure centre in Omagh, where he had been coaching youth football.
The bonfire in Creggan also carried a sign saying that the Sinn Féin assembly member Pádraig Delargy was "not welcome".In a statement, a Sinn Féin spokesperson said "threats against any elected representatives or anyone are anti-democratic and unacceptable".Pádraig Delargy had described some bonfires in the city as "anti-community".Delargy had also previously condemned the burning of Irish tricolours on a bonfire in the Fountain estate in Derry at the weekend.In a statement, SDLP assembly member Mark H Durkan said: "Burning the names of police officers, local politicians and especially a young person who tragically lost their life, has nothing to do with cultural celebration and I acknowledge and welcome that some of the most egregious signs appear to have been removed overnight."
Why are bonfires being lit?
Bonfires on 15 August are traditional in some nationalist parts of Northern Ireland to mark the Catholic Feast of the Assumption.Some bonfires are also lit in August to commemorate the introduction of internment without trial of republican suspects during the Troubles, which was introduced by the UK Government in 1971.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Bangor: Two men arrested after large cannabis factory found
A large cannabis factory has been found by police at a warehouse near Bangor, County men, aged 30, have been arrested for cultivating cannabis and are currently in police said they were detained in a vehicle leaving the warehouse outside Bangor on Wednesday morning. On entering the premises, officers found a large cannabis cultivation spanning two floors. "The potential street value of the yield from the cultivation would be in the region of £400,000 per harvest and a considerable amount of time and money has been invested in the enterprise by those involved," Det Insp Kelly from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's organised crime branch said."This has all the hallmarks of organised crime."A second property in the Newtownabbey area was also searched and approximately £13,000 cash was located inside."This type of criminality is far from victimless and a considerable policing operation is now ongoing to dismantle the facility," Det Insp Kelly have appealed for information.
Times
8 hours ago
- Times
Failure to study languages ‘damages Britain's reputation'
The refusal of Britons to speak another language damages the country's reputation as a global player, according to the former schools minister. Nick Gibb said the government should consider making languages compulsory at GCSE, reversing a decision taken two decades ago. On Thursday hundreds of thousands of teenagers will receive their GCSE results in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. About a fifth are expected to achieve at least a grade 7 or A. Spanish is expected to have overtaken French for the first time but language entries in general — particularly German — have plummeted in recent years. Gibb helped oversee GCSE reform in the 2010s alongside Michael Gove, a decade after languages became optional. He told The Times: 'It's regrettable and very bad for Britain's reputation that we seem to refuse to speak other people's languages. Businesses will always want these people [who speak foreign languages], they will employ people from elsewhere or from private schools. It's damaging to our reputation as a global player.' Gove and Gibb introduced the English baccalaureate (EBacc) grouping, which was supposed to drive up language entries by measuring schools on how many pupils took English, maths, a science, humanities and language at GCSE. The target was for 90 per cent of children to be taking all five EBacc subjects by this year but it has stalled at about 40 per cent, mainly because of the lack of language entries. • What to do now if you didn't get the GCSE results you wanted Gibb said: 'There was an initial jump in languages [after the EBacc introduction] then it tailed off although we have seen a big surge in history, geography and individual sciences.' He said the reason that his government had not initially made languages compulsory was that low numbers meant it was not possible overnight. 'But if the EBacc is not working then the government should consider whether, over a period of time, it makes it [a language] compulsory over a long lead-in time. You could say for example, the intent is that the compulsion at GCSE would return by 2030, for Year 7 students starting this September.' Gibb said caution was needed with policy changes to ensure there were enough language teachers. Provisional figures for England indicate German will suffer the biggest annual fall in any GCSE subject this year, of 7.6 per cent, down to about 32,400. French fell 1.9 per cent to just over 128,000 while nearly 43,000 took other modern languages — a total of about 335,000 out of 5.7 million entries. Spanish is up 1.6 per cent to nearly 132,000. In 2004, the last year that a language was compulsory at GCSE, in England 118,000 pupils took German, 296,000 took French, 59,600 took Spanish and 28,600 took other modern languages — a total of more than 502,000 out of 5.35 million entries • The Times view: Culture and horizons of young Britons limited without language While only 40 per cent of pupils entered the EBacc combination of GCSEs in 2023-24, 86 per cent took four of the five subjects. Eighty-nine per cent of these were missing languages, up from 86 per cent in 2019. Gibb, who has co-written a book called Reforming Lessons about the changes he introduced, also criticised schools for starting to teach GCSE-type questions too early, in Years 7 and 8. This can put children off reading for pleasure at the start of secondary school, he said. 'Some teach the text for five years, it's terrible. You shouldn't be analysing text you will cover at 15 at the age of 12. If I had been in office longer I would have done something about that.' Gibb said schools should introduce pupils to more challenging books as a class, showing them how to tackle harder material to prepare them for GCSEs. 'It would give them the confidence to read Dickens on their own,' he said. 'I think there's no age limit for being read to. We were read to until sixth-form when at school. It's easier to understand text that is read to you.' Gibb praised schools in the David Ross Education Trust, which have teachers reading aloud to pupils each day during tutor time. Kai Veitch is bucking the trend of falling language study by choosing to study German for a specific reason: he wants to race for Mercedes. The 15-year-old karting talent has set his sights on Formula 1, and one day hopes to drive for the German team (Georgia Lambert writes). 'When I first decided to take the subject, I did it because I wanted to try and drive for Mercedes one day,' he said, adding that his other choices in computer science and geography would also benefit his career. As he heads into Year 11 this September, Veitch is not only preparing for his GCSEs next year but also racing full-time across Europe in the Senior Rotax class, competing against adult drivers in elite karting championships. A student at Minerva Virtual Academy, an online school offering one-to-one mentoring and flexible pacing for Send learners and others requiring adaptable options, the teenage chose a more adaptable educational path after mainstream schooling proved unable to meet his needs. 'I'm aiming to race in Formula 4 next year, and I know a lot of the top teams are based in places like Germany and Italy. Even just understanding some of the language helps with communication. If you want to go far in motorsport, it's not just about speed; it's also about how well you work with your team. Language plays a part in that,' Veitch said. 'Now that I'm racing across Europe, I see how languages help in real situations, talking to engineers, teams, or even just showing respect in another country. In a sport like this, it gives you an edge.' Kai began karting at 11 and moved to the senior class at 14 to challenge himself againstadult competition. He races most weekends and trains between events. Despite the traveldemands, he continues his full academic study through the online school. 'It means I can keep learning while I'm away racing. I log into classes from hotels or trackside, and I have deadlines like everyone else. It's not easier, it's just more flexible.'
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Antrim and Newtownabbey Council probes hotel being used for asylum seekers
A local council in Northern Ireland has started a probe into a hotel being used to house asylum seekers. Antrim and Newtownabbey Council confirmed that an enforcement investigation has commenced. It is understood it is into the legal planning status of the hotel in Co Antrim being used to house asylum seekers. A council spokesperson said they have no further comment to make at this time. It comes after Epping Forest District Council was granted a temporary injunction by the High Court on Tuesday which blocks asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in the Essex town. Current residents are to be removed by September 12. DUP South Antrim MLA Trevor Clarke welcomed the move by Antrim and Newtownabbey Council concerning the Chimney Corner Hotel. Mr Clarke said he had written to the head of planning enforcement at the council querying whether any change of use had been sought for the hotel. 'The High Court decision makes it clear that housing asylum seekers in hotels without first securing a 'change of use' through the proper planning process (from hotel to hostel or immigration centre accommodation) constitutes a breach of planning regulations,' he said. 'No-one is above the law, not even Government departments. 'If the Home Office or its contractors wish to place large numbers of illegal immigrants into our communities, they must follow the same planning rules as everyone else.' Mr Clarke said DUP councillors in other areas of Northern Ireland where hotels are being used to house asylum seekers are pressing for similar enforcement investigations. 'This issue isn't just about the specifics of the need for proper planning approval,' he added. 'It highlights the lack of proper oversight and control in terms of the entire UK immigration system. 'The fact these hotels do not have the proper planning approval to house asylum seekers is merely a symptom of the overall problem.' Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland director of Amnesty International, said people must be treated with dignity. 'Amnesty International has long raised concerns that hotels are wholly unsuitable for housing people seeking asylum,' he said. 'This judgment must not lead to even further disruption and insecurity for the refugees themselves. 'Proper investment by Government in planning and providing for appropriate accommodation is urgently needed. 'At the same time, that department must reset its asylum system to provide people with decisions on their asylum claims fairly and efficiently – so people are not stuck in limbo and can get on with their lives. ' People must be treated with dignity, just as we would expect if it was our families who were forced to flee war or persecution.'
