Northern Ireland

Ombudsman upholds complaint over police tweet blaming 'young loyalists' for mess

Workers clearing up the mess left outside a care home on Belfast's Woodvale Road. Picture by Mal McCann
Workers clearing up the mess left outside a care home on Belfast's Woodvale Road. Picture by Mal McCann Workers clearing up the mess left outside a care home on Belfast's Woodvale Road. Picture by Mal McCann

THE Police Ombudsman has upheld a complaint about a tweet issued by police blaming "young loyalists" for rubbish and glass strewn outside the entrance to an care home.

The PSNI in north Belfast posted the comment after a mess was left outside Mount Eden Court on the Woodvale Road last year, on the same night as rioting in the area.

The tweet read: "Young loyalists in Woodvale leave entrance to older people's home in a state two years after last time. Appalling."

Following a complaint by a member of the public, the ombudsman concluded that the information in the tweet "could not be verified" and it had recommended disciplinary action against the officer responsible.

The complaint was filed by Dale Pankhurst, chair of the youth branch of North and West Belfast DUP.

He said he was on the ground during rioting in the Woodvale area last year.

"This tweet attempted to blame loyalist youths on causing this mess when in fact it was the riot squad breaking up glass bottles to prevent them being used again," he wrote on Facebook.

"When the PSNI North Belfast Twitter account were challenged on this by myself and a number of other community reps, they removed the tweet.

"Sometimes the police chastise the general public to be careful on social media. Perhaps now they will practice what they preach, learn from this idiotic mistake and be careful in what they publish in future."