Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has said those responsible for the upsurge in violent criminality linked to loyalist paramilitaries in the Coleraine area need to be held accountable.

The East Derry MLA said:

“Over the past number of months there have been a number of shootings and other loyalist criminal activity in Coleraine and the surrounding area.

“This includes a shooting which left a woman in intensive care and a separate shooting which left a man with serious head injuries.

“I have engaged with the PSNI over recent months and I believe much of this criminality is linked to the UDA.

“Earlier this week I met with senior PSNI locally and asked whether the Paramilitary Crime Taskforce was involved in dealing with this. It is important that adequate resources are directed at tackling the ongoing criminal activity.

“Those responsible need to get off the backs of the community and to be brought to book for their actions.

“I also conveyed to the PSNI at a senior level locally the concerns of constituents who highlight the apparent disparity in the approach to policing of these violent gangsters with the approach witnessed last week on the Ormeau Road in dealing with families commemorating their loved ones murdered by a loyalist death squad.

“It is important that the PSNI acts to restore community confidence in policing.”