Angry Catholic parents today criticised a human rights chief refusal to walk alongside them starting a new row in the North Belfast school crisis.
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A Catholic mother and child run the gauntlet of loyalist protests
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Professor Brice Dickson, head of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, walked into a storm of protest during a visit to Holy Cross Primary School, where loyalists have been staging protests as pupils are taken to class.
As parents collected their children and returned home past loyalists lining the route, Prof Dickson declined an invitation from the Right to Education Group spokeswoman, Ms Philomena Flood, to walk alongside them.
A furious Ms Flood said: "It's a disgrace, him calling himself a human rights commissioner."
Prof Dickson’s visit to the Ardoyne area came as loyalist pensioners received threatening letters from a shadowy group calling itself the North Belfast Catholic Reaction Force.
The printed notes warned them they would be "targeted" if the blockade outside the school did not end.
The human rights chief said he was in the area gathering information from both sides before issuing his views on the dispute.
Prof Dickson’s spent time talking with residents from the Protestant Glenbryn estate before walking back ahead of the entourage of Catholic parents, children and priests.
Loyalist protesters brandishing placards remained totally silent as the group passed through their area.
Earlier SDLP Northern Assembly member, Mr Alban Maginness condemned the threatening letter campaign.
After talks with the North’s Security Minister Mr Jane Kennedy on the continuing crisis over access to the school, Mr Maginness said: It's a foul exercise by whoever is behind this to frighten and intimidate pensioners."
"It's absolutely outrageous and disgraceful and it must be condemned by all right-thinking people.
Earlier Ms Margaret McClenaghan, a Sinn Féin councillor for the area, called for those issuing letters to stop.
"Threats do not serve any purpose other than to heighten tensions in an already tense situation," she said.
Ms McClenaghan also questioned the existence of the North Belfast Catholic Reaction Force.
PA