Denis Bradley: Received death threat

The vice-chairman of the Policing Board has received a death threat from the dissident republican Real IRA.

It came hours after Denis Bradley condemned a campaign of intimidation against Catholic members of district policing partnerships in Northern Ireland.

Last month, Mr Bradley received bullets through the post, thought to have been sent by dissident republicans.

The Policing Board confirmed Mr Bradley had received a threat on Wednesday, but would make no further comment.

News of the threat came after a car at the home of Londonderry district policing group member Marian Quinn was destroyed in an arson attack early on Wednesday.

A breeze block was put through the back window of Mrs Quinn's disabled husband's car at Coshowen, in Galliagh. A petrol container was found on the back seat.

Mrs Quinn said the police warned her on Tuesday night that they had received a threat from the Real IRA that all Catholic members of the DPP throughout Northern Ireland were what they called "legitimate targets".

'Totally unacceptable'

Mr Bradly said the attack on Mrs Quinn and others in the policing partnerships were reprehensible and must be totally condemned.

"This attack was an attack not just on Mrs Quinn and her family, but on the entire Catholic community by members of the Catholic community," he said.

"It is totally unacceptable and I know that the Catholic community will not allow itself to be threatened and bullied in this way."

Earlier, Catholic Primate Archbishop Sean Brady condemned the intimidation, saying it was a "sinister attempt" to rid the organisations of Catholic representation.

He said: "Violence and intimidation have no place in a community which believes in freedom and human rights.

"District Police partnerships are a central part in the building of an accountable and representative police service."

Stormont Security Minister, Jane Kennedy, called the Derry attack "the lowest form of bullying".

"I understand that these specific attacks have been brought forward by the Real IRA who owe allegiance to nobody and have utter disregard, it would appear to anyone," she said.

Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness condemned the threats and said the IRA was not involved.

He said dissident groups were responsible and should disband.

"It's absolutely deplorable, it's unjustifiable. I believe that nobody has the right to threaten Mrs Quinn. Nobody has the right to threaten any member of her family. Nobody has the right to torch her car," he said.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble described those responsible for the recent attacks as absolutely despicable.

Mr Trimble said attempts to intimidate those involved in providing civic involvement in policing should be rejected by everyone.

Mrs Quinn's husband's car was set alight outside the family home

SDLP leader Mark Durkan said he would like to believe the IRA was not involved.

He described those behind the attack as gutless, faceless, and ruthless and said they would not succeed.

Mr Durkan also called on the IRA to make a statement regarding its position, which he said would be helpful.

Resignations

The attack was the latest in a series of threats to members of policing partnerships across the province, which have led to two members resigning.

Teresa Rooney, a member of Cookstown DPP, stood down on Tuesday and last week an independent nationalist in Fermanagh resigned following a threat from the Real IRA.

Other attacks have included an attack on a car belonging to a DDP member in Strabane which was set alight outside the school where he was teaching and a hoax bomb which was left outside the home of a DPP chairman in Tyrone.

News of the incidents came as Policing Oversight Commissioner Tom Constantine said that threats from dissident republicans to kill community policing board members were the biggest test yet for the new arrangements.