AN SDLP assembly member has said the abuse he has received after speaking about loyalists attacking his car during a parade was the worst he has experienced in four decades as a public representative.
John Dallat last month said he was "petrified" and had to ring police after a group kicked his car, hit the windows and shouted at him while taking photographs.
But a marshal at the parade in Kilrea, Co Derry, disputed the MLA's account and said the behaviour of the bands was "totally faultless".
Mr Dallat yesterday said abuse he received through "social media and indeed elements of the written press" after speaking about the incident was "even worse than the experience itself".
The East Derry assembly member claimed people have attempted to damage his reputation, adding that he "serves all constituents in our community irrespective of who they are and has done so for over 40 years".
"In all those years I have never experienced anything like the abuse I have been subjected to in the past two weeks for doing nothing more than thanking the PSNI for responding to my 999 call to get me out of a very dangerous situation," he said.
Mr Dallat said police have investigated and "in an update have confirmed that the incident did take place".
"I have reason to believe those involved will be identified and interviewed," he said.
A PSNI spokesman said: "Police are investigating this incident and as enquiries are ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."
