UVF men ‘cleanse’ estate of any trace of rival UDA gangs in town hit by loyalist feud

Video footage and still camera images show the men marching into the Weavers Grange area of the Co Down town last Thursday night to ‘cleanse’ the estate of murals, placards and flags bearing the name South East Antrim UDA.

As darkness falls the group are filmed carrying ladders into Weavers Grange, a relatively new estate which is situated a few hundred yards from the West Winds estate where a ‘community walk’ took place the previous Monday.

It comes as the town continues to be gripped by a loyalist feud involving factions of two UDA drug gangs.

But sources in east Belfast have revealed the east Belfast UVF is heavily involved in events in Newtownards.

And it has emerged the UVF took part in a ‘community safety walk’ in Newtownards last Monday night.

Members of East Belfast UVF swelled the ranks of the walkers, many of whom were local residents legitimately wanting to make clear they were fed up with criminality and paramilitary violence in their areas.

But we can reveal amongst the 200-strong crowd who walked through the West Winds estate, where a UDA feud has been simmering, were violent paramilitaries from the UVF.

Sources have told the Sunday World that while there were dozens of legitimate West Winds residents present at the walk other supporters arrived from other areas outside the sprawling loyalist estate.

East Belfast UVF men from the Whitehill estate in Bangor were spotted mixing with local residents during the walk.

One furious parent even contacted the Sunday World to complain they had seen known UVF members who had been behind a vicious attack on his son.

"What a cheek the UVF has to take part in that protest after what they've done and the punishment beatings they've given out,” said the angry parent.

"I know some of the UVF members who did that walk attacked my son over nothing and left him with injuries he'll never get over.

"They stand up there and give off about the UDA when they are every bit as bad.

"They deal just as many drugs and ruin just as many lives. They're standing there like they're part of the community when all they do is deal drugs.”

And they said they even recognised the UVF members who attacked his son.

"I recognised the guy who attacked my son straight away,” said the parent. “They have a nerve to stand there in the middle of that walk.

"All they are interested in is the power they have over people. They are scumbags and after the damage they have done to people in that community it's unbelievable they can show their faces."

The walk was portrayed as a walk of defiance against the breakaway group calling themselves the Real UFF, who recently set-up in Newtownards after south east Antrim UDA withdrew their support for a number of loyalists living in North Down.

There have been dozens of incidents over the last fortnight.

The Sunday World understands the Real UFF had issued 17 death threats to loyalists across North Down and it has been claimed some of those threats were issued to members of east Belfast UVF.

One of the threats was issued to the UVF commander in the West Winds estate which sparked Thursday night’s organised march into Weavers Grange to remove UDA murals and flags.

Before Monday’s walk an open letter was penned and made public, purporting to be from a residents’ group in West Winds.

They said they wanted to “send a clear message” to the group calling themselves the ‘Real UFF’ that “they are not welcome in the West Winds” area.

“We are fed up of the disruption to our community, and indeed other communities across our borough, and tonight we are going to walk the streets together to show that this community will not be intimidated, threatened or bullied.

“As a community we do not want to see any more violence against any person. We want a completely peaceful and lawful solution to the ongoing dispute.”

Over a dozen homes have now been attacked in the last 14 days with petrol bombs, bricks and even a pipe bomb being used in attacks in Bangor, Newtownards and Donaghadee.

The PSNI has faced criticism for their handling of the loyalist feud with some political representatives questioning why masked men have been allowed to march around the town without arrest on several occasions.

Last Thursday night the PSNI released a statement explaining their response to the arrival of men, some who were masked, into the Weavers Grange housing estate.

They said: “Police are currently in attendance at Weaver’s Grange in Newtownards this evening following reports that a crowd of men had gathered shortly after 8pm.”

North Down and Ards District Commander, Superintendent Johnston McDowell said: "Police evidence gathering resources were already present and additional police resources were immediately tasked to the area.

"Within 15 minutes a further crowd of more than 50 people had arrived on foot into Weavers Grange.

"There was no disorder but the crowd had ladders and removed South East Antrim UDA insignia from the gable ends of houses before leaving. An investigation is now underway."

On 1 April a statement in the name of the West Winds Residents' Collective (WWRC) was released to the Belfast Telegraph, calling on everyone affiliating themselves with the so-called Real UFF to leave the estate within 48 hours.

Speaking to the Nolan Show on Monday morning, Strangford Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong questioned the motivation behind the letter, saying she did not believe it came from the residents of West Winds.

“I don’t believe (the) letter comes from the residents of West Winds, I think it comes from a group of people who are trying to legitimise their illegal activity. Having the police on the ground has interrupted their drug dealing and I would say this has more behind it,” she said.