An Ulster Unionist member of Derry City Council said yesterday he had been forced to flee from his home at Eglinton, on the outskirts of the city, because he had received a death threat. As gardai along the Border began visiting Protestant clergy in the Republic who have also been threatened, Alderman Andrew Davidson, who was elected to Derry City Council last year, said he had been told by the RUC that his name was on a so-called death list, as were the names of two other prominent Protestants.He said he had received the information last week and, after discussing the matter with his wife and children, the family had decided to leave Derry. It is believed that Mr Davidson is now living with members of his family in Dublin. His family home near the village of Eglinton yesterday appeared deserted.Mr Davidson told the BBC he had been warned that his life might be in danger and that a priest had told the RUC about the threat. An RUC spokesman said: "It would not be in keeping with our policy to discuss specific threats against people." It is understood detectives believe the threat came from a republican paramilitary source.Mr Davidson, who lived most of his life in Dublin, said he and his wife had decided that they could not bring up children in what he called the "present degenerating atmosphere" in the North."We have come to the conclusion that it cannot be done in Northern Ireland, that it is a society in which poison runs through people's veins. I don't know how to cope with that any more."I think we all realise that you have to put your family number one. In the longer term, since things don't seem to me to be settling, I can't see us remaining in the area. In the short term I don't know what's going to happen."The political situation for me is crazy anyway. I have tried very hard to get into a position where maybe I can help conciliate and I think that was best done from within a political party. I really don't know where I'm going on that, but I'm certainly not terribly happy with the way my party is going and I say that quite openly." Meanwhile, gardai in Border divisions are taking seriously the anonymous threat to the lives of Protestant clergy living in the Republic.It is understood that a direct threat was also telephoned to a member of the Elim Pentecostal Church. Three elders from this church were shot dead by Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) gunmen at their church in Darkley, south Armagh, in November 1983. Seven other people were injured.The latest threat was made in a call to a Co Armagh newspaper last week by a man claiming to be a member of the Catholic Reaction Force. This is the same covername used by the INLA in the Elim church attack.Similar cover-names have also been used by the IRA to try and divert blame away from itself after carrying out sectarian attacks in the Border region in the 1970s. After shooting dead 10 Protestant workmen in south Armagh in January 1976 the IRA members responsible issued a claim of responsibility in the name of a fictitious group called the Republican Reaction Force.A 27-year-old man was attacked and shot in the knees in the Twinbrook Estate in west Belfast last night. He was forced into a car at Brooke Drive and drove him to Cherry Drive where they shot him twice in the knees at about 8:30 p.m. It is understood his injuries are not life-threatening.