Twenty under city death threats

Chief Inspector Chris Yates said up to 20 death threats have been issued

Between 15 and 20 people in Londonderry have been told by police over the past six months their lives are under threat from paramilitaries.

The city's most senior policeman, Chief Inspector Chris Yates, said there had been a recent increase in the number of threats.

Last weekend four men in Derry received death threats which are believed to have come from dissident republicans.

Chief Inspector Yates said such threats "were taken extremely seriously".

"Obviously we can't discuss the personal safety of an individual, and we can't discuss individual cases, but the decision to issue a personal threat notice is taken by a very senior officer," he said.

Meanwhile, the grandmother of one of the men who was issued with a death threat at the weekend has said her grandson is willing to face his accusers.

The woman, who did not want to be identified, said he wanted the opportunity to clear his name.

"My grandson has been accused of attacking someone," she said.

"He got a letter from the police to say that his life was under threat and that he had 48 hours to get out or they'd shoot him on the spot.

"In the meantime, my grandson is trying to check out who is saying this about him.

"He's willing to come and face whoever he has to face because he can say where he was, he was out of town, and he has witnesses to say he was out of town," she said.

The threat was made through Father Joe Gormley from St Brigid's Church in Carnhill, who passed it on to the police.