PSNI carrying out enquiries after UUP MLA complains about 'deeply provocative' Republican memorabilia shop opening in Dungannon
The PSNI is carrying out enquiries to see if any offences have been committed after a "deeply provocative" shop opened in Dungannon which sells Provisional IRA memorabilia.
UUP MLA Diana Armstrong says the recent opening of the "Republican regalia shop" will cause "unease right across the community".
It appears that the shop sells a wide range of republican memorabilia, including republican images of the "East Tyrone Brigade" which include silhouettes of men with rifles.
Its Facebook page shows a range of pictures including IRA hunger strikers and various people carrying rifles.
Ms Armstrong said: “I’m always one for promoting small business and entrepreneurship but the most recent addition on the Dungannon High Street is one I will never support as it is nothing more than a shrine to terrorism and is deeply provocative to the whole community.
“The glorification and exploitation of well-known IRA terrorists who made no quarrel in murdering our kin is sickening and to stick them on a t-shirt or to don your shop with Republican regalia, is equally disturbing.
"Many of the items on sale will cause unease across the community and will be profoundly hurtful to the victims of Republican terrorism.
"I have urgently written to the Trading Standards watchdog seeking their intervention to see if this sort of trading is appropriate in Dungannon, as no paramilitary organisation should be promoted on our High Streets."
Responding to her concerns, the PSNI said they would look into the matter.
"No specific reports have been made to police however local enquiries are being carried out to establish if there are any offences," a spokeswoman said.
The News Letter invited the business to respond to her comments but it has not yet done so.
A spokesperson for the Department for the Economy said that the Trading Standards Service cannot comment on the details of individual cases "as this may prejudice any ongoing or subsequent investigation" and may be "unfairly detrimental" to its commercial interests.
The spokesman said that "any allegations of misleading claims or unfair trading practices" could give rise to offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, which it is charged with enforcing.
Asked if this means Trading Standards has no powers to investigate the alleged sale of paramilitary memorabilia, the DFE said this would most likely be accurate.