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Brexit: Senior officer urges calm over NI protocol
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A week after he addressed the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan has said there has been an increase in community tension over the NI protocol.
It comes as the EU condemned threats against staff making Brexit-related checks at Northern Ireland s ports, and told EU officials working in Northern Ireland not to attend their duties.
On Monday, Mid and East Antrim Council withdrew staff from Brexit inspection duties over security fears.
All parties have condemned the threats. There are no indications loyalist paramilitary groups are involved.
UK PM Blames EU After Safety Fears Prompt N.Ireland To Halt Post-Brexit Checks By Paul FAITH, with Joe STENSON in Dublin
02/02/21 AT 3:32 PM
Britain on Tuesday condemned threats to port workers implementing controversial post-Brexit trade checks in Northern Ireland, calling for clear heads to ease fears of an upsurge in sectarian tensions but pointing blame at the European Union.
Checks were suspended at Belfast and Larne ports late Monday, and the European Commission said it had told its staff working at two border posts in the British province to stay away.
The development comes just over a month into new trading arrangements after Brexit took full effect, and warnings it could stoke lingering community tensions in Northern Ireland.
N Ireland Halts Post-Brexit Checks Over Staff Safety Fears ibtimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ibtimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Blinded lorry driver Fra McCaffrey may be the first victim of a renegade loyalist group who are ready to go to war over the Irish Sea border.
The west Belfast lorry driver was left with serious head injuries as well as being blinded in one eye after a group dumped a bin load of rocks over an overpass in Larne – close to the port although Fra had not come through the new so-called ‘border’.
Police were stumped at the shocking and bizarre attack on the 56-year-old which happened three weeks ago and appeared to have no clear motive.
But we can reveal detectives are now investigating whether the incident was part of new loyalist campaign against any kind of border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
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The EU has condemned threats against staff making Brexit-related checks at Northern Ireland s ports, and told EU officials working in Northern Ireland not to attend their duties.
All parties have condemned the threats.
A senior police officer said there was no evidence any of the main loyalist paramilitary groups were involved in the incidents.
NI police have increased patrols and offered advice on shift patterns.
They held talks with council staff after Brexit-related checks at NI ports were suspended amid security concerns.
An industry source told BBC News NI lorries arriving on the boats into Belfast and Larne received a waiver on Tuesday and were directed straight out of the ports.