There is “no indication” that a sign threatening workers preparing to dismantle the Boyne Bridge in Belfast was placed at the behest of loyalist paramilitaries, a DUP MLA has claimed.
Edwin Poots said he did not expect there was any “paramilitary element” behind the placard, which appeared at the bridge at Durham Street between Sunday night and Monday morning.
The sign stated “touch this bridge beware!” alongside a crosshair image, and it was placed at the Sandy Row end of the bridge, which is due to be demolished as part of public realm works following the opening of the new Belfast Grand Central Station.
A last-minute legal challenge against Translink and the Department for Infrastructure to stop the work at the bridge - the existing structure of which was built in 1936 - failed last week following a ruling by a High Court judge.
The work is expected to see Durham Street closed for up to 12 months.
Local residents and the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society are opposing the demolition of the bridge, citing its historical significance.
Despite being rebuilt in the 1930s - to widen the structure built in 1863 - the Boyne Bridge foundations contain the remains of the Saltwater Bridge, built in 1642, which is said to have been traversed by King William III on his way to the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
The threatening sign was removed on Monday by the PSNI, which is investigating its appearance as a “potential public order offence”.
However, despite its implication that workers would be shot, South Belfast MLA Mr Poots said he did not believe the sign was placed without the “authority” of loyalist paramilitaries.
He also claimed paramilitary organisations in his constituency had “largely retired and moved on”.
Mr Poots, who is the Speaker of the Stormont Assembly, was criticised in August when he claimed loyalist paramilitaries were “little more than old men’s clubs now”.
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The authors of the most recent Independent Reporting Commission report on progress towards ending paramilitary activity, published last December, said paramilitarism “represents a continuing threat to individuals and society”, and that “coercive control continues to be an unacceptable feature of life in many communities where the paramilitaries operate”.
Mr Poots told BBC Radio Ulster on Tuesday: “Any threat to workers is entirely wrong and therefore that sign should never have been placed there.
“We are seeking to know who placed it. At this stage there’s no indication that it was done with any authority from paramilitary organisations.”
Speaking of paramilitary groups on both sides of the political divide in the north, he said: “A lot of those organisations are now largely retired and have moved on, and in south Belfast that’s pretty much the case.
“Therefore, we don’t anticipate or expect that there’s a paramilitary element to the erection of that sign.”
Mr Poots said Translink has a “lot of work to do” in order to “ensure the cultural history that is in that area is retained”.
Translink has said it is “committed to preserving and celebrating the history and heritage of the area” and working with the local community to “repurpose key elements” of the structure.
