Kilcooley Violence Unacceptable says Farry

10.32.53am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 2nd Aug 2007

Bangor Mayor and North Down MLA Stephen Farry

The Mayor of North Down, Alliance Councillor and local MLA Stephen Farry, has condemned the wanton violence that occurred in the Kilcooley Estate in Bangor on Wednesday evening, in the aftermath of police searches in the area.

Stephen Farry stated: "This wanton violence is completely unacceptable. People will be shocked and appalled over what has occurred in Kilcooley. These types of scenes were supposed to be behind us, and we must be thankful that there are no reports of any casualties.

"It must be clearly understood that the police have every right to go about their business of upholding the rule of law, free from interference or the use violence from others. In a normal society, there must not be any 'no-go' areas for the lawful authorities.

"There are many responsible community leaders within Kilcooley whose influence will continue to be critical over the coming days. Much progress has been made in the estate over recent years, and it is critical that last night's violence does not set it back."

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