Minister requested police remove anti-immigration posters

Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd wrote to Chief Constable Jon Boutcher earlier this month to request police remove anti-immigration posters in the Rathcoole estate, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has said.

It comes as the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) told BBC News NI that the signs should have been removed by DfI.

Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said it had taken "far too long to have them removed" and police "needed to intervene".

The posters in the estate in Newtownabbey issued a threat to anyone "facilitating the settlement of Muslims or illegals" in the area.

Most of the posters were erected at the start of August, in what police have described as a hate crime, but have now been removed by the PSNI.

Mr Singleton said the police had tried to engage with DfI from the start of August but that the process had been too slow. He said it was the responsibility of the department to remove objects from lamp posts.

He said that while police had the power to seize material for the purpose of an investigation, the law was less clear on officers' ability to do so in other circumstances.

"It got to a point where the PSNI felt we needed to intervene and remove the posters," Mr Singleton said.

Some other anti-immigration posters remain on poles in parts of the estate.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster about the remaining posters, Mr Singleton said: "I don’t consider them as acceptable, but whether they are criminal is another assessment again.

"This is one of the challenges that we have whenever you see material that is perhaps not just as clear cut or offensive.

"Where it may be viewed as abhorrent to some, you do potentially have freedom of speech considerations engaged as well and that’s why you have to view every single incident on its own merit."

He said that posters were only able to be removed because of where they were placed on lampposts at "waist and head height".

The senior police officer said that "police officers aren’t routinely trained and equipped" to remove material that would have been placed higher up on electricity poles or on buildings.

He said that he wanted an urgent meeting with the department and other landowners to discuss the issue.

"We have been dealing with these types of issues from the turn of the year when we have seen a number of these issues present themselves in housing estates across Northern Ireland, but in this occasion it took too long and we need to fix that."

Democratic Unionist Party MLA Philip Brett told BBC News NI that the police with the support of political representatives had removed the posters.

"We trust that this is the end of the issue," he said.

“The Muslim community make an important impact in north Belfast and right across Northern Ireland.

“The message from the people of Rathcoole, north Belfast and Northern Ireland has been clear that these people are welcome in our community and those posters are not.”

In response, the department said Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd wrote to PSNI chief Jon Boutcher earlier this month to "highlight that these signs are racist and intimidatory and to request that the police remove them."

"The department has been clear that when a crime has been committed, it is for the PSNI to investigate and to act to resolve matters," a statement said.

"It appears that the PSNI do, in fact, believe that these posters constitute a hate crime and so it is right that the police act."

BBC News NI reporter Elaine Mitchell

Lanie, a nurse who lives in Ballyclare, was the victim of an attack on her home three weeks ago. She's originally from the Philippines.

She spoke to BBC News NI following another attack on her car.

''The attackers threw a stone at the windscreen of my car whilst it was parked inside my yard. Me and my daughter saw the broken glass and called the police right away," she said.

''It’s really terrifying and I’ve had anxiety whilst not been able to sleep well.

"Who is this person? I’ve never harmed anyone.

''I can't sleep at night. I need to make sure outside my house is clear before I go to bed. The earliest I can get to sleep is 1am, it's hard," she added.

"You're not only hurting me, but my innocent daughter," she added.

Police are investigating the latest attack on Lanie as racially motivated.