Bobbies in bandit country
By John McGurk
31 July 2005
THE Secretary Of State, Peter Hain took a historic step towards a new Northern Ireland - on the streets of Crossmaglen!
For the Ulster political supremo undertook an impromptu walkaround in the south Armagh border village where the security forces have, in the past, been wary to tread.
The Secretary Of State revealed that he had decided to see the village for himself, during what was described as “a routine visit” to the local police station last Tuesday.
An NIO spokesman told Sunday Life: “He was visiting Crossmaglen police station and, during the visit, he asked about the public access area.
“So he went out onto the street of Crossmaglen and then walked down to the square for about five to 10 minutes, accompanied by the local police commander, Bobby Hunniford.”
Speaking to BBC’s Newsnight, Mr Hain said that the response from locals to his impromptu walkabout, with police and soldiers in support, “was not unfriendly”.
And he added that he could foresee a “future in which we can have normal policing, including community bobbies” in the village and elsewhere.
Other Secretaries Of State are thought to have visited Crossmaglen security base in the past. And former Tory spokesman for Northern Ireland, Quentin Davies went to the border village in 2002.
But many political observers believe that this is the first time a current Secretary Of State has actually set foot in the streets.
However, Hain’s potentially historic walkaround was a bit of a mystery to some locals.
Barmaids in two pubs - the Clarnagh Maid and the Grocer Publican Undertaker - said that none of their customers had clapped eyes on him.
One barmaid told Sunday Life: “You would expect to hear people talking about it. But nobody has mentioned it.”
