'˜Ghost Tommy' attack '˜deeply insulting' says TUV councillor

Mid and East Antrim TUV councillor Ruth Wilson has stated that there is 'nothing sectarian or divisive' about 'Ghost Tommy' war memorials.
Cllr. Ruth Wilson.Cllr. Ruth Wilson.
Cllr. Ruth Wilson.

The TUV councillor’s comments followed a vandalism attack on a steel silhouette of a soldier erected in Cairncastle last week and knocked to the ground at the weekend.

The incident came a few days after Sinn Fein councillor James McKeown said that he had received “a number” of complaints regarding the memorial in Cairncaste.

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In a statement, Ruth said: “It is important to stress that there is nothing sectarian or divisive about these tasteful memorials to the sacrifice of the Great War. Quite the reverse. The many thousands of Nationalists who went off to fight for freedom in Europe are paid tribute to by way of the Ghost Tommies as well as Unionists.

“It is deeply insulting to the memory of thousands who paid the supreme sacrifice to ignore this historical fact.”

“I have reported the vandalism to the PSNI as a hate crime and would urge anyone with information to come forward to the police. This kind of behaviour should have no place in Mid and East Antrim and all elected representatives should be united in their condemnation of it.”