The PSNI has been questioned over why officers removed racist signage in a Co Tyrone village but ignored sectarian banners glorifying the UVF located nearby.
Denise Mullen raised concerns after police were pictured taking away the anti-migrant roadside sign in Moygashel, near Dungannon, on Monday.
The mocking signage carried the cold-hearted message “no illegal immigrants for 1 mile” along with an image of a small boat full of people.
This is believed to be a reference to refugees and migrants who regularly use rubber dinghies, to make the dangerous English Channel crossing between France and Britain.
Police say the incident is being treated as a racially-motivated hate incident.
The offensive sign was placed close to a loyalist arch in the village, which is also decked in various unionist flags and pro-UVF images.
Ms Mullen’s father Denis, who was a member of the SDLP, was shot dead by loyalists at their family home near Moy in September 1975.
The sectarian killing was carried out by the Glenanne Gang, which included members of the RUC, UDR and UVF.
Ms Mullen has previously raised concerns about UVF signage in the village, which includes a tribute to loyalist killer Wesley Somerville.
Somerville died along with fellow loyalist Harris Boyle as they placed a bomb on a minibus carrying the Miami Showband near Banbridge in Co Down on July 31, 1975.
Three members of the band also died in the deadly attack.
A gun used in the showband murders was also fired during the attack on Mr Mullen, who was killed 49 years ago on Sunday.
Ms Mullen, a former Aontú councillor, questioned the different approach adopted by police to the race-hate and sectarian signage.
“So why can a racist sign be removed from Moygashel and not an illegal organisation banner of the UVF glorifying a murderer of those in the nationalist community - hatred and racism rolled into one,” she said.
SDLP councillor Malachy Quinn also raised concerns.
“If they are able to remove one sign but they are not able to remove another….this one pops up every single year,” he said.
“We know the division it causes within the community, and you would have to question why it’s not removed.”
A spokeswoman for the PSNI said its officers “recovered a sign in Moygashel on Monday as it was stolen property and will be used in evidence in an investigation into offences including theft and criminal damage”.
She added that “under existing legislation the erection of flags can, in some circumstances, amount to an offence”.
“Where offences are suspected, police have an obligation to intervene to investigate crime,” she said.
“Where an offence is identified by PSNI or the PSNI are requested by another government department or agency to assist in enforcement action regarding flags or public displays, the PSNI retains operational discretion as to what action to take in terms of removal.”
In 2017 police arrested Co Tyrone man Frank McGirr after a banner depicting Somerville was removed from a lamppost in Moygashel.
Mr McGirr later pleaded guilty to attempting to cause criminal damage and was fined £300.
It is not known if anyone has ever been arrested for putting up UVF signage.
There was anger in the Dunganon area in 2016 when a senior PSNI officer said a poster glorifying former UVF and LVF commander Billy Wright would be offensive to some, but not to others.
Ms Mullen later refused to meet with the inspector after he made the comment.
In the past the PSNI has removed republican paramilitary signage.
In May last year officers used ladders to remove IRA lettering from a lamppost in the Creggan area of Derry.
