Threatening letters sent to two SDLP councillors have highlighted strong feelings ahead of a ballot on attitudes to loyalist marches on Belfast's lower Ormeau Road tonight.
Ms Rosaleen Hughes, a councillor for Castlereagh who lives in the lower Ormeau area, displayed a pellet wrapped in a message received in the post yesterday.
It said if she could not follow the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community residents' group line in the ballot on loyalist marches, to be held tonight, she should "keep her mouth shut". The message was signed with the initials "LOCC".
Ms Hughes described the incident as "very frightening" and said she could not comment on who might have sent the note. She had been intimidated before when she refused to sign a petition on the parades issue.
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MLA said he had received what appeared to be a small bullet with his threatening letter. He described the incident as "silly but still frightening". Both he and Ms Hughes urged those eligible to vote on the issue to do so.
LOCC spokesman Mr Gerard Rice said no one from the group was involved in issuing the threats and that Ms Hughes agreed with him on that.
Mr Rice said that it was clear the message had been sent by those who were afraid of the result of the ballot. "This is a sign that people are worried that the decision may be 90 per cent to re-route parades away from the Ormeau Road and they want to taint that decision," he said.
The ballot will be overseen by the local Catholic parish priest, Father Anthony Curran. In a letter to his parishioners, Father Curran said it would be open to all residents of the area over 16 and that he and a panel chosen by him would ensure its secrecy.
Although no copies of the questionnaire were being released to the media, it is understood that voters will be asked questions to determine their attitudes to marchers and the loyal orders.
Meanwhile, a residents' group in Newtownbutler, Co Fermanagh, said it would not be staging a protest against a Royal Black Preceptory parade on Sunday. A spokesman for the Newtownbutler Area Residents' Association said it was pleased with restrictions placed on the parade by the Parades Commission, which mean the marchers will not return to the village after their church service.