Nigel Dodds recalls horrific night at RVH on 25th anniversary of IRA attack

In December 1996 Lord Dodds, then a Belfast city councillor, and wife Diane were waiting to speak with a surgeon at the RVH about their ill son when two IRA gunmen approached the waiting room.

Alerted by the demeanour of the pair, a police bodyguard challenged them, leading to the terrorists opening fire on the officer who was shot in the foot.

On Monday, Lord Dodds posted the video, along with the message: “25 years ago today the IRA attack took place inside the Children’s Hospital in Belfast as we visited our very ill son Andrew. Video recalling that evening below.”

In the short clip, Lord Dodds recalls how “shots rang out in the corridor”.

He said: “There was screaming, there was panic. People shouting everywhere.

“I thought at that moment that somebody was going to come through the door. Then somebody shouted ‘get down, get down Nigel.’ It was one of the nurses.”

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood replied: “Absolutely sickening that you and your family had to go through that @NigelDoddsDUP. Total wrong and unjustified. How some can still justify events like this really bemuses me.”

Former NI Secretary of State Julian Smith responded to Mr Dodds message, saying: “A very stark reminder @NigelDoddsDUP of how bad things were – gun shots in a children’s hospital ward whilst a family cared for their very ill child ...unforgivable.”

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