A council in Northern Ireland has spent £20,000 to protect a portrait of a unionist mayor after it was vandalised.
The painting of Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) peer Lord Browne was damaged at an Irish-language celebration event in Belfast City Hall.
A Sinn Féin employee at Stormont later resigned over the incident, after it was investigated by police as a hate crime.
The city council had initially declined to disclose the figure, saying there was an “active police investigation” ongoing.
Belfast City Council
However, after a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the council confirmed it spent £20,000. The cost was on top of the almost £2,500 spent on repairs to the painting.
In October, a Sinn Féin assembly employee resigned after admitting involvement in the incident.
A party spokesman said: “A Sinn Féin employee, who works in the assembly, made the party chief whip aware of their involvement in an incident regarding a portrait in Belfast City Hall which took place on Saturday, October 19.
“The employee was immediately suspended, and we have notified the PSNI today. The employee has now resigned from their employment and their party membership.”
The empty space on the wall outside The Banqueting Hall of Belfast City Hall, where the portrait of DUP lord mayor Lord Wallace Browne hung
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A council spokesman told the BBC: “A review of general security arrangements was undertaken following this incident, and a number of improvements were made.”
No details were given on the nature of the new measures, however images appear to show a new security camera installed near the portrait.
DUP councillor Dean McCullough said the incident last year was “deeply concerning” and questions over what happened were “not going away”.
Councillor McCullough said the Unionist community “deserve the same respect as anyone else”.
The portrait had been removed from the gallery
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The incident occurred at an event celebrating 20 years of Glór na Móna, a group promoting the work of Irish language speakers in the Upper Springfield area of Belfast.
A spokesman from Glór na Móna said it was “extremely disappointed” to learn of the incident and would assist the council with its enquiries.
In March this year, a file reporting a suspect for alleged criminal damage was sent to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) for consideration.
A spokesman for the council said: “We can also confirm that council has paid for the repairs to the portrait, pending the outcome of the PSNI investigation, but will seek to recover these costs.”
Niall Ó Donnghaile, pictured with former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams
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It comes after Belfast City Council announced the removal of former Belfast Lord Mayor Niall Ó Donnghaile’s portrait after revelations he had quit Sinn Féin after sending inappropriate texts to a teenage boy.
Sinn Féin leaders on Belfast City Council met with DUP and TUV counterparts and agreed to the move.
First Minister, Michelle O’Neil said: “His behaviour was completely inappropriate so therefore we had no issue whatsoever in terms of backing the removal of the portrait.”
Belfast City Council said: “After agreement at a meeting of the Party Group leaders today, the portrait of former Lord Mayor Niall Ó Donnghaile has been removed from display at City Hall.”