The final British army watchtower in south Armagh was dismantled yesterday as part of the continuing normalisation of security in Northern Ireland.
Constructed in 1992, the guard post in Crossmaglen was intended to protect British soldiers and police officers at a time when they could only get to the then-RUC station by helicopter. It came under attack several times by the IRA during the Troubles.
In recent months, British army presence at the base has been significantly reduced, with the site now only being used as a PSNI station. Brig Mike Riddell-Webster, commander of Lisburn-based 39th infantry brigade, said it was "a notable marker along the route to normal community policing across Northern Ireland."
Conor Murphy, Sinn Féin Assembly candidate for Newry and Armagh, welcomed the demilitarisation. "This military post has been a blight on this community for too long. Local people will be glad to see the back of this eyesore and those who spied on them from within it," said Mr Murphy.
SDLP candidate Dominic Bradley said it was the "end of an era, during which the military apparatus had dominated Crossmaglen." Mr Bradley added: "We need to move quickly to a new era where the police operate normally without back-up from the British army." However, Danny Kennedy, UUP deputy leader, criticised the timing of the move, noting it "comes slap-bang in the middle of an election."