A NEW loyalist paramilitary mural has replaced a piece of artwork in support of Crusaders FC in North Belfast, close to the club's Seaview home.
The mural, bearing the logos of the UVF and the paramilitary group's 'youth wing', the YCV, was erected on the wall of St Vincent Street at the side of the ground.
It has covered over a long-standing mural dedicated to the North Belfast football club.
The 'Welcome to Seaview' mural had been a staple of St Vincent Street when the fan-sponsored artwork replaced an older YCV mural on the wall.
But the football-inspired artwork has now been painted over and replaced with hoarding bearing the name of '3rd Battalion (North Belfast) UVF'.
The Danske Bank Premier League club opted not to comment, stating that the wall is not in its ownership.
The DUP failed to respond to the North Belfast News, when asked for a comment. Local DUP representatives had directed us to the party's press office.
Speaking earlier this week, SDLP councillor Carl Whyte branded the move as both sinister and intimidating.
"Whoever put that up is trying to promote an illegal paramilitary organisation and recruit young people to it," he said.
"The football club has been doing important work building community resilience and capacity and should be commended for it.
"The banner should be removed immediately but there are a number of serious questions that now need to be answered, not least of all who erected the banner and how was it paid for.
"I have asked PSNI to investigate the matter – erecting insignia like this is an offence. We all have a duty to bring communities in north Belfast together, this only drives us further apart."
Cllr Whyte, whose grandmother Peggy was murdered by the UVF in 1984, said while some are afraid to speak out in public over the mural, he said he refused to be intimidated by the paramilitary group.
"They murdered my grandmother and I’m not going to stay silent about them putting up banners at football pitches," he added.
