SF criticises soldiers' reception

Mayor Gerard Diver at the reception with Ranger David Pepper and his parents

Sinn Féin has criticised the SDLP mayor of Derry after he held a reception for members of the armed forces recently returned from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Members of the Territorial Army and Royal Irish Regiment attended the reception in the Mayor's parlour in the Guildhall on Friday night.

Gerard Diver said he hosted it in his role as the city's first citizen.

But Sinn Féin's Maeve McLaughlin said the party knew nothing about it and it should never have gone ahead.

"To host a reception given the controversy around last week's parade in Belfast, given the decision this week to delay the findings on Bloody Sunday, and given the role the RIR has played in the history of this country and in the Middle East, is absolutely disgraceful," she said.

"I think he has clearly acted against the wishes of the people of this city."

Responsibility to all

But Mr Diver said he had a responsibility to all the people in the city.

"I am confident I represented the majority of the people in this city in saying that I did the right thing on Friday night.

"These are citizens of our city, they are worthy of the attention of the mayor, they are worthy of their safe return home being welcomed, and I must act in the interests of all of the people of this city," he said.

Michael Pepper's son David, who has just returned from Afghanistan, said his son was honoured to attend Friday's reception.

"Up to now he's attended the parades in Ballymena, Larne and Belfast, but this is the first time he's had a chance to have any recognition from his own people within the city.

"To get a reception by the mayor, I think he was really overwhelmed and happy," he said.

The DUP MP Gregory Campbell, who requested the reception, said Mr Diver made the right decision.

"People who object to that are then saying that those local people are in some way different or are less citizens than others in the city.

"The mayor was quite correct and proper to respond in the way that he did and I don't see how Sinn Féin can make an issue of this," said Mr Campbell.