Police Chief blames UVF for terrorising catholic families

By David Young

Northern Ireland's police chief has blamed the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force for issuing threats to four Catholic families in a cross-community housing development in Belfast.

George Hamilton said the East Belfast UVF was behind the intimidation of the families in Cantrell Close neighbourhood.

The clear attribution comes following a week of growing pressure on the police to confirm who it believed was behind the threats.

"There are people using the guise of the UVF who we believe are members of that organisation who are threatening people because of their community background, because of their religion, to leave their home - that is not acceptable," said Mr Hamilton.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable said the UVF was so "chaotic" the police was not yet sure whether the threats were supported by the leadership of the criminal organisation, or were made by individual members.

"We are of the view that there's people purporting to be of East Belfast UVF who have been behind those threats," he said.

"Whether or not that is an organisational position we don't know because it is a chaotic disorganised crime group.

"They have no legitimacy, they are a scourge on the community."

Cantrell Close, off the Ravenhill Road in the south of the city, was supposed to be a flagship cross-community development as part of the Stormont Executive's Together Building United Communities programme.