The Sinn Fein Assembly member for Upper Bann, Dr Dara O'Hagan, has deplored the actions of a group of demonstrators who gathered outside Craigavon Civic Centre on Tuesday night protesting at a meeting designed to help resolve the Drumcree stand-off, writes Gerry Moriarty.
Dr O'Hagan described the crowd as a "rent-a-mob" who were intent on "threatening and intimidating" the local politicians, including the North's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, and Mr Breandan Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy residents group, who were meeting to discuss Drumcree.
Meanwhile, the DUP mayor of Craigavon, Mr Mervyn Carrick, has again defended his refusal to attend Tuesday night's meeting. He said he did not attend because of the involvement of Mr Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition.
Mr Trimble, Mr Mac Cionnaith and other local elected representatives from the Portadown area are to meet again next week to try and find a way out of the Drumcree deadlock.