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Loyalist drug dealer 'untouched' Loyalist drug dealer 'untouched'
(about 2 hours later)
A leading loyalist is being blamed for supplying drugs to a north Belfast teenager who later killed himself.A leading loyalist is being blamed for supplying drugs to a north Belfast teenager who later killed himself.
Dean Clarke, 16, from the Tigers Bay area, hanged himself days after taking a large number of horse tranquilisers.Dean Clarke, 16, from the Tigers Bay area, hanged himself days after taking a large number of horse tranquilisers.
Presbyterian minister Reverend Robert Beckett said there was a lot of fear in the community as the loyalist paramilitary "remained untouched". Presbyterian minister Reverend Robert Beckett said people were afraid as the paramilitary "remained untouched".
He said though he understood the restrictions faced by the PSNI, police were not active enough in the area. He claimed police were not active enough in the area. However, a senior officer said police were taking proactive steps to tackle the problem.
"There are folks in the area who are making huge amounts of money selling drugs," he said. "Most people know who they are. Dean Clarke spent almost a week in intensive care after taking a drugs overdose. He was discharged from hospital but was later found hanged.
The rumours are that this fellow has hundreds more of these tablets to provide to other people. Reverend Robert Beckett
"While there have been a number of drug dealers put out of the area in recent days - for cases that are unrelated to the Clarke incident - the major drug dealer, who is supposed to be a leading figure in loyalist circles, remains untouched.
"Nothing goes on in Tiger's Bay without the paramilitaries both knowing it and approving it."
Dean Clarke spent almost a week in intensive care after taking the overdose. He was found hanged in the early hours of Saturday.
Women in the area demonstrated against drug dealers on Sunday and the teenager's mother has called for drugs and dealers to be taken off the streets.Women in the area demonstrated against drug dealers on Sunday and the teenager's mother has called for drugs and dealers to be taken off the streets.
Some people say a UDA figure is behind drug dealing The rumours are that this fellow has hundreds more of these tablets to provide to other people. Reverend Robert Beckett
Reverend Beckett said: "There is a lot of fear in the community. Reverend Beckett said: "There are folks in the area who are making huge amounts of money selling drugs. Most people know who they are.
"While there have been a number of drug dealers put out of the area in recent days - for cases that are unrelated to the Clarke incident - the major drug dealer, who is supposed to be a leading figure in loyalist circles, remains untouched."
He said that nothing went on in Tiger's Bay without the paramilitaries "both knowing it and approving it".
"The reality is this young lad is dead. If it is true that this is the man who sold him these drugs, horse tranquilisers, to a young lad who just turned 16..."The reality is this young lad is dead. If it is true that this is the man who sold him these drugs, horse tranquilisers, to a young lad who just turned 16...
Some people say a UDA figure is behind drug dealing
"The rumours are that this fellow has hundreds more of these tablets to provide to other people."The rumours are that this fellow has hundreds more of these tablets to provide to other people.
"Is it not related to the death of this young fellow? Should this man not be charged with manslaughter?""Is it not related to the death of this young fellow? Should this man not be charged with manslaughter?"
Superintendent Nigel Grimshaw said there had been 89 seizures of drugs in the area since April, with subsequent arrests.
"This is an ongoing investigation. I don't care what title or banner you want to put over them - be it UDA, whatever," he said.
"These people are criminals. In many respects... it is irrelevant what connections they have.
"They are a scourge on our society and we want to take them off the streets. But we need the help of people in the community to come forward to give us the information that we can turn into hard evidence to put them before the courts."
Frankie Gallagher of the Ulster Political Research Group, the political wing of the Ulster Defence Association, told BBC News the drugs problem in north Belfast was "widespread".Frankie Gallagher of the Ulster Political Research Group, the political wing of the Ulster Defence Association, told BBC News the drugs problem in north Belfast was "widespread".
He said their goal was to take all drug dealers off the streets.He said their goal was to take all drug dealers off the streets.
Mr Gallagher added that a number of meetings were being held over the issue.Mr Gallagher added that a number of meetings were being held over the issue.