RUC decision on parade route is not a victory, says residents' spokesman

THE RUC had taken the only sensible decision in preventing the march going through the Garvaghy Road, Mr Breandan MacCionnaith, the Garvaghy Road residents spokesman, said yesterday.

"The ban on the parade is not a "victory," he said. For a whole year residents had tried to enter discussions with the Orange Order but it had "consistently refused to sit down and discuss the situation with us."

The Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, rejected this claim and said he had spoken, through intermediaries, with residents, but they were unwilling to make compromises.

Mr MacCionnaith added that "our only reward for our compromise last year was Ian Paisley and David Trimble dancing through the town centre".

Mr MacCionnaith also criticised the Orange Order for denying there was any agreement that it would parade last year but not this year. Mr Trimble said, however, that there was no compromise and any agreement was worked out between the police and residents.

The Rev Martin Smyth, leader of the Orange Order, had earlier said he did not believe there would be an alternative acceptable to the Order.