PSNI HAS CONFIRMED that damage caused to a portrait of former DUP Lord Mayor Wallace Browne at Belfast City Hall is now being treated as a hate crime.

Last week, a Sinn Féin Stormont employee resigned after admitting involvement in the incident. A Sinn Féin spokesperson said that the employee had come forward themselves to inform the party’s chief whip of the incident.

The party said it had notified the PSNI and suspended the employee, who resigned from their employment and their party membership.

The DUP had previously said that the portrait of Browne, who was Lord Mayor of Belfast between June 2005 and June 2006, was removed from a wall and the glass in its frame had been smashed.

The incident occurred on Saturday, 19 October, at the anniversary event of an Irish language group. The group, Glór na Móna, said that it had no knowledge of the incident until it was contacted by council staff the following Monday. 

The group said it was “extremely disappointed” at the incident and that it would be assisting the council in its investigation.

The damage to the portrait occurred only days after a portrait of former Sinn Féin Belfast lord mayor Niall Ó Donnghaile was removed from City Hall after it was revealed that he had left the party after it was informed of inappropriate text messages he had sent a sixteen-year-old boy, who was a member of Ógra Shinn Féin.

PSNI said that its enquiries are continuing and it encouraged anyone with any information to contact police on 101 and quote reference number 1194 21/10/24.

Includes reporting by Press Association.