South Armagh policing: Kingsmills Massacre survivor Alan Black hits out at PSNI plans

Proposals for reforming policing in south Armagh have caused anger among some families of the Kingsmills Massacre.
Alan Black, the only survivor of the 1976 Kingsmill shooting when ten workmen were shot dead by the IRA  in Co Armagh.
PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISONAlan Black, the only survivor of the 1976 Kingsmill shooting when ten workmen were shot dead by the IRA  in Co Armagh.
PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON
Alan Black, the only survivor of the 1976 Kingsmill shooting when ten workmen were shot dead by the IRA in Co Armagh. PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON

Ten protestant civilians were taken out of their work bus and shot dead by the IRA as they made their way home from work at Kingsmills in south Armagh in 1976.

Proposals for reforming policing in south Armagh have caused anger among some families of the Kingsmills Massacre.Ten protestant civilians were taken out of their work bus and shot dead by the IRA as they made their way home from work at Kingsmills in south Armagh in 1976.

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Sole survivor, Alan Black - who was riddled with bullets - lives in Bessbrook, 14 miles away from Crossmaglen, where the PSNI is proposing to close the police station.”Everyone deserves a proper police force but if that building is so bad, why not just tear it down and build another one?” he asked. “To me it is simple. If they say it [the building] is a nightmare, tear it down and build a proper modern one.

“If someone gets into difficulties around Crossmaglen the police have to travel from Newtownhamilton [ten miles away]. And if the people in Bessbrook here need police they have to phone Newtownhamilton [again ten miles away].

“So to me it doesn’t make sense. I don’t think the Chief Constable has a clue to be honest.”

Mr Black was not impressed by PSNI proposals to remove RUC memorials from public view.

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“All over the country they have got memorials [for the Troubles dead] - all over the country - and they are just going to hide the police ones?” he asked.”I know about five or six officers around here who were murdered. The Chief Constable doesn’t know how to read the room. He doesn’t know what he is stirring up - he is hurting people all over again.”

Colin Worton, whose brother Kenneth was one of those murdered in the Kingsmills Massacre, said he had seen a recent poll which claimed that 90% of loyalists don’t believe the police are being even handed with them. 

“I would strongly agree with that,” he said. “Because anything I see them [the PSNI] doing now is to appease republicans. I can’t see it working. It is only going to cause more problems in the long run.”He specifically mentioned the possible impact of joint vehicle check points with the PSNI and Gardai in south Armagh.

“I think you could see some so-called loyalists starting all the rumpus up again,” he added.

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”You would think they would have been safer leaving it alone. It could be like showing a red rag to a bull. I don’t think it will go down too well in loyalist communities.”Regarding proposals to remove RUC memorials from public view, he said it is “totally unbelievable how far they are prepared to bend over now”.

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