Bullet sent to Rasharkin woman
A bullet has been sent to a woman in the Co Antrim village of Rasharkin, along with a note telling her to “get out”.
The chilling message, which also branded the woman “Protestant scum”, was posted through her letterbox at about 9.30pm on Sunday night.
A brick was also thrown at the house at Belmont Park.
A police spokesman confirmed the incident was being investigated and treated as sectarian.
The DUP’s John Finlay, who visited the woman, said she had been left “deeply shocked and intimidated” by what had happened.
“This is nothing more than a sick sectarian attack on an innocent woman,” he said.
“This is not the new Northern Ireland we aspire to. We must work to stamp this sort of sectarian and violent behaviour out of Rasharkin. Tensions remain high this morning in the village.”
Appealing for anyone with information to pass it to police, Mr Finlay added: “I call on the PSNI to step up patrols in the village and for Government to get involved in creating a more stable environment for all the people of the village.”
The threat came less than 24 hours after a petrol-bomb attack on the family home of Northern Ireland international and Fulham footballer Chris Baird.
DUP North Antrim MLA Mervyn Storey has condemned the attack, saying that such incidents cannot be allowed to carry on in the area.
“This is no disrespect to Chris, or anyone else, their religion is irrelevant,” Mr Storey said.
“This attack, whoever carried it out is to be condemned. It is scandalous that we still have these ongoing attacks in the village of Rasharkin.”
However, Sinn Fein North Antrim representative Daithí McKay believes Unionist leaders need to do more to cool tensions in the village.
“I recognise leadership when it is being demonstrataed from Unionist politicians,” Mr McKay said.
“There has been comments made in the past which I have welcomed, but unfortunately on this occasion and with regard to the attack at the weekend they have not placed the blame with the Loyalist community.
“The community itself and those who have been attacked feel very strongly that is where the attacks are coming from.”
