DERRY's Unionist mayor is refusing to hand back his chains of office. Alderman Richard Dallas, who has been denied access to the mayoral office following his part in a pro Drumcree loyalist roadblock on Derry's Craigavon Bridge last summer, says he will ignore a request from Derry's town clerk, Mr John Keanie to return the chains of office to the council.
The mayor, who has had the chains of office since the beginning of August, says that they are being kept in a safe place.
The letter from the town clerk said that for safe keeping and insurance purposes, the normal procedure was that the chains should be deposited in the Guild Hall overnight and retrieved for use when required.
But the mayor says that normal circumstances no longer apply. "If the Guild Hall superintendent did give me the chains of office he would be breaking the council imposed sanctions on me by co operating with me. Quite simply if I gave them back they wouldn't be returned to me."