THE PSNI has said it is has been made aware of a Facebook post which claims a nationalist-controlled council is under the “command of the IRA army council”.
The claim appeared on a web page operated by unionist protest group British Truth Forum (BTF).
The comments came as the BTF criticised Mid Ulster District Council’s use of a surveillance camera to monitor the site of a vandalised Irish language road sign in Co Derry.
The council later posted a reply on the group's Facebook page dismissing the claims.
The post was raised during a special meeting between councillors and police last week.
After the meeting it emerged that police have nominated an officer to handle reports of vandalism of Irish language road signs in the district.
The Irish News has revealed that in just over two years, 93 dual language signs have been attacked across the Mid Ulster District Council area.
One sign at Gulladuff, near Maghera, has been targeted 12 times since February.
Council officials recently erected a temporary CCTV camera overlooking the site.
The BTF, which has in the past criticised action over flags and bonfires, claimed it has “been contacted by several concerned members of the public about cameras which are controlled by Mid Ulster Council, which is under the command of the IRA army council and what there (sic) use is actually for?"
The group claimed that “many believe they are going about their daily business and are being spied upon and this information could be passed onto a terrorist organisation”.
The council commented underneath the post, saying: "Mid Ulster District Council is a democratically elected body. To assert otherwise is to do a disservice to the people of Mid Ulster and the representatives they elected to serve them.
"In terms of cameras, any use of and access to CCTV cameras and recordings is undertaken in strict compliance with all regulatory requirements, including the General Data Protection Regulation."
Asked about the BTF post, Mid Ulster District Commander Supt Mike Baird said: "While no official report has been made to police, we have been made aware of a social media post, and enquiries are ongoing to establish if this post constitutes any criminal offence/offences."
Sinn Féin councillor Ronan McGinley said the group "has a responsibility to make sure its followers are getting accurate information".
“This constant spin and untruths is doing a lot of damage to good relations in the area,” he said.
A spokesman for the BTF said: “It seems the priority of Mid Ulster council is to investigate the British Truth Forum and not such much the privacy of people.”
