Orange Order and Royal Black Institution investigating how Michael Stone banner found its way into Islandmagee Orange Hall

The banner, which was on display in a photo taken inside Islandmagee Orange Hall and shared on Facebook, showed killer Michael Stone alongside King William of Orange and Sir Edward Carson.

The Orange Order said it was making enquiries after the Sunday Life brought the story into the public domain, the Royal Black also said it was investigating the matter.

The hall is home to LOL 1962 and in the photo members of RBP 324 are pictured with their bannerette. The banner with the image of Stone on it is hanging from the end of a table at the end of room closest to the person taking the picture, facing away from the men in the shot.

The picture was posted on the ‘Orange Halls of Northern Ireland’ Facebook page and shared on the Islandmagee Orange Lodge page in February, though it appears to have been taken down from both pages since the story emerged.

Victims group SEFF said: “Stone was a systemic terrorist and serial killer. He's no hero.

“This is wrong on so many levels. There now must follow a detailed internal investigation. We find it difficult to believe that the Royal Black Preceptory knew about the Stone image on the table.”

Stone, who was released on parole in 2021, is most notorious for his one-man attack on a republican funeral in Milltown Cemetery in 1988.

He killed three people and injured scores more. Before the attack on the funeral of the IRA bombers, Stone had shot dead two Catholics in 1984 and 1985.

Stone was released from prison under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, but was returned to prison in 2006 after he attempted to gain entry to Stormont and kill Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.

Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland spokesman said: “Enquiries will be made. We have no further comment to make at this time.”

A spokesperson for the Royal Black Institution said it was investigating how the banner came to be in the hall while its members were being photographed.