Orange hall attacks investigated

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Police are investigating a link between attacks on three Orange halls in the south County Londonderry area.

Halls in Upperlands, Portglenone and Maghera were all damaged and had slogans daubed on them.

The attacks, at Tamlaght, Killygullib and Drumollish halls were reported to police on Tuesday - the first at 0830 BST and the last at 1130 BST.

The Orange Order's Drew Nelson said there had been 50 attacks on Orange halls since the start of July.

The order said nine halls had been attacked in south Derry in the last three weeks.

The attacks were wrong and "were raising tensions within the community", Mr Nelson said.

Killygullib Orange Hall was rebuilt in 2001 after being destroyed by fire.

In the latest attack a window and a flower display were destroyed and the hall daubed in paint.

The other two halls had flags removed and graffiti written on the walls.

SDLP Mid-Ulster assembly member Patsy McGlone described the incidents as "wanton vandalism".

"It really is pathetic that there are still some members of our community engaging in sectarian and mindless attacks like these," he said.

Police have appealed for anyone with information about the incidents to contact them.