A MASKED man threatened to shoot a member of the Northern Ireland assembly last night as she canvassed in a staunchly republican area, her party said.
The armed man pointed an air gun at the SDLP’s Dolores Kelly and told her she had five minutes to leave the Kilwilkie estate in Lurgan, Co Armagh.
The Upper Bann representative was canvassing ahead of next month’s European elections.
The MLA said the incident in an area known to house dissident republican elements would not deter her from her work.
“We had two teams of canvassers in Kilwilkie and I did notice a crowd of young fellas in a car pull up,” she said.
“I heard someone say my name and saw a young man in a balaclava, who told me in no uncertain terms that I was to leave the area or be shot.
“Let me make this very clear to those people who think they can intimidate me or my party – they will not.”
