Northern Ireland

Belfast mayor refuses Army cadet award

A senior UK Government minister has criticised the Mayor of Belfast for refusing to present an award to an Army cadet.

Sinn Fein's Niall O Donnghaile said he declined to hand the prize to the teenage girl at a Duke of Edinburgh Awards ceremony to avoid raising sensitivities surrounding republicans and the British Army.

Commons Leader Sir George Young said: "I very much hope we can move forward in a more consensual way than that gesture indicated."

Senior Democratic Unionist Sammy Wilson said the move "typifies the intransigence" of Sinn Fein and called on their MPs to be banned from claiming taxpayers' money when they refuse to sit in the Commons.

Speaking during questions on future Commons business the East Antrim MP said the refusal to present the award was a "breathtaking display of bigotry".

He said: "This typifies the intransigence that we see from Sinn Fein who ignore the electorate by refusing to take seats in this House yet get hundreds of thousands of pounds of money, supposedly to carry out parliamentary business."

Sir George said he understood the "very strong feelings" aroused by the incident.

Mr O Donnghaile, who at 26 is Belfast's youngest ever first citizen, has offered to meet the young cadet and her family to discuss his decision, which he said was "nothing personal".