Offensive DUP poster not linked to us, says National Trust

Earlier this week, Belfast Pride confirmed that at Saturday’s parade Eleanor Evans had been asked to remove a sign which said “f**k the DUP” as they felt it did not “promote reasoned debate”.

An outraged Ms Evans, who said she had used the sign at London Pride, told Pink News: “If you can’t carry a sign like that peacefully through Pride then I don’t understand what they think that event is for.”

Yesterday a News Letter reader highlighted that video footage on the National Trust’s twitter page showed the woman walking behind the trust’s banner and in front of one of its vans.

The point at which the footage was shot was about half way into the parade route.

However, when contacted by the News Letter yesterday the trust said that Ms Evans was not employed by it or connected to the trust.

A spokeswoman said that the trust had a list of those who took part as part of its delegation and Ms Evans was not on that list.

Long-standing National Trust member Jim Wells, who spent years working for the conservation charity, cancelled his membership at the weekend after the trust’s decision to march in Pride and a decision (since reversed) to force volunteers in England to wear rainbow badges if they wished to remain in roles where they met the public.

Mr Wells said on Tuesday night that he had reported the obscene anti-DUP placard to the PSNI, alleging that it was a “hate crime” contrary to parading legislation.