Two arrests as police investigate video of man pointing gun at Orange parade

The incident – which was filmed inside a house along the event route – took place in Randalstown during a church parade on Sunday.

Police arrested a 35-year-old man and a woman aged 53 on Monday evening following the search of a house on Randalstown’s Station Road. A number of items were being examined by army experts.

A second video uploaded to the same Facebook page shows a man positioning himself close to those on parade before making offensive remarks and chanting pro-IRA slogans.

DUP MP for South Antrim Paul Girvan described the incident as “deeply disturbing”.

He said: “This is a deeply disturbing display of hate and intolerance aimed towards those participating in the Randalstown District parade. This parade was made up of Orangemen, women and young children, making their way to and from a church service. It is beyond comprehension that someone would be so warped as to dress themselves up in paramilitary attire and aim what appears to be a firearm at those on parade.”

UUP leader Robin Swann said: “Even by the standards of behaviour witnessed all too often in Northern Ireland, this is a particularly shocking video.

“A perfectly peaceful and lawful church parade in Randalstown was sufficient to prompt a sad and twisted individual to display his sectarian bigotry by dressing in paramilitary clothing and brandishing what is, hopefully, a replica rifle.”

TUV leader Jim Allister said that in the run up to the Twelfth, the videos will “inevitably increase tensions...particularly set in the context of events in Londonderry where Protestant homes have come under attack”.

DUP councillor Jordan Greer: “A lot of hard work has gone into building the good relations that exist in Randalstown and it should not be damaged in anyway by the irresponsible actions of this individual,” he said.

On Monday night a PSNI spokesman confirmed the two arrests, and said: “The pair have been arrested on suspicion of a number of offences and have been taken into custody for questioning. A number of suspicious items have been located by officers as a result of the search at the scene and Station Road has been cordoned off to allow ATO to fully examine the items.”