Brexit: 'NI port staff return depends on police conclusions'

There is a need to "wait and see" what conclusions and recommendations police have before border post staff return to their duties in Larne and Belfast, Environment Secretary George Eustice has said.

Staff were withdrawn from the two ports on Monday after threats were made.

Mr Eustice was speaking at a Westminster committee on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Belfast Harbour has said no suspicious behaviour has been reported at the port in recent days.

It came after BBC News NI saw correspondence from within Belfast Harbour that said: "We are not aware at this time of any threats to staff at Belfast BCP (border control post) or related intelligence."

Checks in a number of areas were suspended after graffiti appeared in a number of areas expressing opposition to the NI Protocol and referring to employees involved in checks on that border as "targets".

Staff reported suspicious activity - including apparent attempts to gather personal information, such as vehicle number plates.

The UK environment secretary said the issue was a "security matter for the police in Northern Ireland who are working very closely with the Northern Ireland Office".

Mr Eustice said his department was also working with local authorities in Northern Ireland.

Speaking to the House of Lords EU environment committee, Mr Eustice said European Commission staff had also been withdrawn and that they understood the situation.

He said the Commission wanted to know when physical checks could resume.

Mr Eustice also insisted that despite the threats and staff withdrawing, "goods are flowing" at Belfast and Larne ports.

He said documentary checks were still being carried out so those "elements of the protocol are continuing".

Physical checks, he added, would resume "as soon as we are able to".

Belfast City Council has confirmed that its staff continue to operate the new regulations at Belfast port.

A city council spokesperson said: "A small team of Belfast City Council officers are supporting these checks at Belfast Port, with a 24/7 operation in place.

"We are basing our operational decisions on information received from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)."

The council said it is "continually assessing the ongoing situation and is in regular contact with PSNI and the Harbour Police".

The top civil servant in Stormont's Agriculture Department is to brief assembly members in private on Thursday over the decision to withdraw staff.

Permanent Secretary Denis McMahon will be joined by Northern Ireland's Chief Vet Robert Huey.

The department is responsible for running the checks on animals and food moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under protocol rules.

The two officials are to brief members of the agriculture committee for an hour behind closed doors.

The appearance of the two officials at the Stormont committee follows a call from its chairman, Declan McAleer, for assembly members to be given more information about the temporary cessation of physical checks.

On Tuesday police increased patrols and offered advice on shift patterns.

A senior police officer said there was no evidence any of the main loyalist paramilitary groups were involved in the incidents.

Graffiti opposing the Irish Sea border has been painted in some loyalist areas of Northern Ireland in recent days, referring to employees at border post staff as "targets".

Staff at the ports reported suspicious activity - including apparent attempts to gather personal information, such as vehicle number plates.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan said "individuals or small groups of people" were involved.

The Department of Agriculture also said it is continuing to keep the situation under review and that it "continues to liaise with the PSNI and other partner organisations in considering when physical checks may resume".

It added: "Any decision will be based upon a formal threat assessment."