Northern Ireland

Death threat made against senior Belfast City Council official Nigel Grimshaw

Nigel Grimshaw, Belfast City Council's director of city and neighbourhood services
Nigel Grimshaw, Belfast City Council's director of city and neighbourhood services Nigel Grimshaw, Belfast City Council's director of city and neighbourhood services

A DEATH threat has been made against senior Belfast City Council official Nigel Grimshaw.

An email of a "serious nature" targetting the director of city and neighbourhood services was sent to the council, which passed it onto police.

Mr Grimshaw has been involved in the controversy surrounding the council's handling of the cremation of former IRA man Bobby Storey at Roselawn cemetery last week.

Eight other families were denied the right to have up to 30 people attend cremations at Roselawn on the same day as Mr Storey's.

A report found Mr Grimshaw made the decision to allow up 30 mourners to attend the cremation "in the context of managing potential issues if numbers arrived and demands for access were made".

But it also stated that Mr Grimshaw regrets the effect it had on other families.

In a statement last night, a council spokesperson said: "An email was received by Belfast City Council and due to the serious nature of its content, it has been passed to the PSNI".

Sinn Féin councillor Ciaran Beattie condemned the death threat against Mr Grimshaw, describing it as "abhorrent".

"Those responsible for this threat have nothing to offer society," he said.

"This threat comes after Nigel Grimshaw has been the subject of much inaccurate, ill-informed and irresponsible public commentary in recent days.

"Everyone should be free to go about their business free from fear of threats and intimidation.

"Anyone with any information on those responsible for this despicable and cowardly threat should bring it to the PSNI."

UUP assembly member Doug Beattie last night also condemned the threat and described those responsible as "toe rags".

Alliance councillor Sian Mulholland wrote on Twitter: "Sending solidarity to Nigel Grimshaw this afternoon.

"It’s appalling that a threat has been made against his life and I hope the PSNI find the individual(s) responsible and bring them to justice.

"I hope he and his family are ok."

Green Party councillor Mal O’Hara said: "Solidarity to Nigel Grimshaw - no worker should be receiving deaths threats for their work. This is utterly reprehensible."

A PSNI spokesperson said: "We do not discuss the security of individuals and no inference should be drawn from this.

"However, if we receive information that a person’s life may be at risk, we will inform them accordingly. We never ignore anything which may put an individual at risk."