Barriers fall at a quieter Drumcree

The security barrier at Drumcree in Portadown, Co Armagh, has been removed

The security barrier at Drumcree in Portadown, Co Armagh, has been removed. British army engineers dismantled it on Saturday and removed razor wire from surrounding fields.

The barrier was erected to keep Orangemen and their supporters from a lane leading to the Garvaghy Road.

The Assistant RUC Chief Constable, Mr Stephen White, praised the appeals from the Orange Order and community leaders for protesters at Drumcree to act within the law. Thirty-three people were arrested for public order offences at Drumcree but security forces did not come under the same attack as on previous occasions.

However, a blast bomb was discovered in a field close to Drumcree Bridge on Saturday. British army technical experts carried out a controlled explosion on the device. It was found by soldiers removing razor wire from the fields.

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Mr White said those who had left it were guilty of attempted murder. "This must prove beyond doubt to all reasonable people that the protective measures at Drumcree were essential to protect the lives of police officers and soldiers on duty over the past week." Meanwhile, the rector of Drumcree, the Rev John Pickering, has expressed hope that the parades dispute can be resolved next year, rather than contained by the security forces.

A resolution suitable to everybody in the area was needed, he said. "I believe there is something on the table that can be used as a foundation upon which to build."