The SDLP leader and deputy chief executive in the power-sharing executive, Gerry Fitt (later Lord Fitt), was deeply concerned at the ineffectiveness of the RUC in quelling anti-Catholic intimidation in the Rathcoole estate in north Belfast, and alleged that the local police station contained a number of "UDA sympathisers".
This is revealed in confidential cabinet files released today in Belfast under the 30 years rule.
A report records a visit by Fitt (who died in August) to the permanent under-secretary at the Northern Ireland Office, Sir Frank Cooper, at Stormont Castle on February 21st, 1974. The SDLP leader said he had come to talk about intimidation over a long period in the Rathcoole area and made the following points:
(1) There had been intimidation of Catholics over a period of two or three years. One particular problem of which he had first-hand knowledge was that of the Catholics living in Rathcoole who had found it extremely difficult to obtain certificates from the local Newtownabbey RUC station to enable them to be placed on the emergency housing list. He had himself tried to persuade Insp Jardine to be more co-operative, but little had been done to improve matters. In the end, he claimed that the Housing Executive had had to step in to ensure that people who needed certificates were able to secure them.
(2) An interim report by the Community Relations Commission said it had been in touch with the army, which had indicated there was a political decision not to stop intimidation because of the risk of antagonising the majority in Rathcoole (a loyalist estate), and also that the Newtownabbey police station included a number of UDA sympathisers. He now understood that the published report of the CRC would not include these two paragraphs about the army and police.
(3) Mr Fitt told Sir Frank that a local resident had phoned Newtownabbey police station about 10 days earlier at 7.30am to warn them of a suspicious car at a local factory. A short time later, two Catholics were murdered there. Mr Fitt said the killing had taken place at 8.10am and the police had only arrived five minutes later. This information had been provided by the informant to a local Protestant minister.
The SDLP leader also referred to the case of a local Catholic woman whose house had been attacked by the UDA on three occasions. "She had had no sympathy or anything else from Newtownabbey police station."
In his "note for the record", Sir Frank stated: "In short, what Mr Fitt was saying was that over a period of time there had consistently been intimidation of Catholics in the Rathcoole area and that Newtownabbey police station was ineffective in dealing with it and, indeed, by implication - if not more - doing nothing to help those who were being intimidated.
"It was put to Mr Fitt that for him to make a detailed public statement on these lines would be the reverse of helpful to an investigation which the chief constable (Sir Jamie Flanigan) undertook to set in hand." It was agreed that the chief constable should have the complaints investigated.