Condemnation of rioting, concern over immigrants: Larne residents voice views after town's leisure centre wrecked

The News Letter was on the ground yesterday in the aftermath of the rampage, speaking to locals about the incident and the rising anti-immigration sentiment associated with it.

Wilbert Curran, an 83-year-old former petty officer in the Royal Navy, who has lived in the town for over 50 years, said the attack on the centre is "outrageous".

"I think it didn't do any good Mr Lyons putting out where they are," he said, in reference to the communities minister Gordon Lyons posting online that evacuated migrant families from Ballymena had been temporarily moved there.

He said of immigration that there's "too many coming in, but it's impossible to stop because of the Law of the Sea - you have to save everybody at sea".

He added that people are "bound to have a legitimate concern about immigration, but we depend on them a lot; I broke my ankle and was in the Royal, and it was nearly all immigrants working".

Almost nobody the News Letter spoke to would give their full name; one expressed the fear that their windows would be put in if they spoke out.

One woman, Joan, aged 62, said: "I don't agree with what happened [at the leisure centre], but maybe it's time to make a stand as to what's been happening around the place with these immigrants coming in.

"I'm not racial at all, but I just think something needs to be done.

"To be fair, I think a lot of it is to do with our politicians, MPs. They're a voice to be heard and to serve the community, but they don't seem to be doing too much.

"They really need to get control of people coming into the country."

Former civil servant Caroline, 59, has lived in the town her whole life.

"I go to the gym three times a week," she said, adding she was at the centre on Wednesday morning, hours before it was burned.

"The gym is, during the week, people my age and older. These are the people are being affected by this. There's people at the gym referred there by their GP."

She was due to attend a 'Zumbathon' today to raise money for hospice care, which is now cancelled, along with all other events at the centre.

"Larne has people from all over," she said. "And people live in harmony. I haven't heard of any trouble with people from Larne.

"On Facebook they talk about 'illegal immigrants' – but most of these people are legal.

"In the videos it's all kids [smashing the centre up]. There was one wee lad wearing shorts looked no older than 12.

"You could hear wee girls in the video shouting 'get the Pakis out'. It's just all foreigners now."

A 79-year-old woman who lives nearby and was born in Larne said: "You only have to look around and see the lovely area it is, it's absolutely beautiful – but there's people with different ideas.

"These immigrants are taking over, apparently they're bunging the system up: schools, hospitals, and people are angry. But it's not the right way [to protest]... to destroy something that's going to cost a lot of money to sort out."

One unemployed man, aged 22, said: "I believe they [the rioters] went completely the wrong way about it.

"I believe people have had enough of illegal immigration and boat people, as they call them.

"But the organisers of the protests just didn't do a good job of making sure it was peaceful."

A 52-year-old businessman from Portadown, who regularly stays in Larne, said they usually go to the centre's Prom Cafe, which only just had new flooring installed.

The rioting only served to "embarrass" local people, he said.

"Yes, they want to take a stand [over immigration], but unfortunately it's hurting their own economy now in the town," he said.

"They're making a statement, they're standing up for their rights. But if they're going to do it, they should do it as a peaceful protest.

"You have to honour the people from other countries who come over here and are working, but there's no measure of the people they're bringing in.

"If you're going to bring people into the country, there should be a points system like Australia."

He said if Keir Starmer came to visit the Province at the moment, "he'd be lynched" over the issue.