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>Catholic family to quit home following threats >Posted on February 15, 2008 at 12:03:46 PM by Sean Mac > >Catholic family to quit home following threats By >Staff reporter >13/02/08 > >A CATHOLIC family-of-five are quitting the Co Antrim >village of Stoneyford after a police warning that >loyalists were about to launch a bomb attack on their >home. > >The bomb threat is the latest act of > >loyalist intimidation in the village, which has >already forced three Catholic neighbours to leave the >area in the last two years. > >On Monday night police visited the Catholic family, >who were too frightened to be named, to warn them of >an imminent loyalist attack on their home. > >It is the latest in a series of attacks and death >threats against the family. > >In December police warned them that loyalists were >planning to murder them. > >In the same month loyalists attempted to abduct the >family’s 13-year-old son as he and a friend walked >through the village. > >In November part of an engine block was thrown through >the living room window of the family’s grandmother’s >home in another part of the village. > >In July 2006 the family were intimidated from a >previous house in another part of Stoneyford. > >They are the latest Catholics to have been forced out >of Stoneyford in recent years. > >In May 2006 two Catholic families fled Stoneyford >after sectarian attacks on their homes. > >In April 2004 Catholic man Ed Nolan and his fiancée >fled their home in the village after it was attacked >eight times in two months. > >In the most high-profile case a Catholic-owned bar in >the village was forced to close after it was targeted >by loyalists 80 times. > >In 1999 the personal details of more than 300 >nationalists were discovered inside Stoneyford Orange >Hall. > >In April 1998 Catholic man Ciaran Heffron was shot >dead by LVF gunmen in nearby Crumlin. > >A prominent loyalist, who is accused of being behind >the Stoneyford intimidat- > >ion, was arrested and questioned over both incidents >but released without charge. > >Police Ombudsman Al Hutchinson is currently >investigating a series of complaints alleging police >failures to stop the attacks on Catholics in >Stoneyford. > >Confirming his family’s decision to quit the village, >the father-of-three said: “People in the village want >to live together. > >“Catholic and Protestant kids mix happily here. > >“We had kids from the local Protestant band in our >house on a regular basis. > >“The ordinary police on the beat know who’s behind >this intimidation and want him put behind bars but for >some reason he seems to be untouchable. > >“I don’t want to leave Stoneyford but I just can’t put >my family through any more.” > >Chief inspector Paula Hilman said: “The police service >are firmly committed to ensure that all communities in >Stoneyford can live safely and peacefully.” > >A police spokeswoman said it did not comment on the >personal security of individuals. > >The spokeswoman said anyone with a complaint about the >PSNI should contact the police ombudsman.

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