Support for loyalist Jamie Bryson following sinister threat

On Monday evening, Mr Bryson posted on social media that he had been threated by a grouping calling itself the ‘Real UFF’ – one of two rival factions involved in a feud centred on Newtownards.​

He tweeted: “Tonight both I, and my family, have received death threats from a criminal gang who call themselves the ‘Real UFF’. I will never be intimidated by a ragtag bunch of drug dealing, house breaking criminals who are not loyalists

“I have since engaged with PSNI, who I understand are confident of identifying the person who issued it. Loyalism, nor the wider community, will be intimidated by drug dealing, house breaking criminal parasites.”

In response, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson tweeted: “On a day when we have again witnessed ‘dissident republican’ violence on our streets, we also have threats to kill issued by a so called ‘loyalist’ criminal gang against @JamieBrysonCPNI and his family. Both actions are to be condemned without equivocation."

Mr Donaldson added: “All such violence and intimidation, whether loyalist or republican, achieves nothing for any cause but inevitably creates distress for those on the receiving end.”

TUV leader Jim Allister tweeted: “Continuing threats and posturing by gangsters of proclaimed Real UFF must be faced down by PSNI. Paramilitaries pandered to for years under phoney ‘transition aegis’ think they are untouchable. Are they? That is the question govt and PSNI must answer”.

DUP MLA Emma Little-Pengelly tweeted: “Unacceptable. Threats to people and their families. Disgusting.

"Violence on the streets in the North West by dissidents. A strong message must be sent – this is unwanted and rejected by the vast, vast majority. Go away, get off the stage”.