Blantyre Loyalist flute band call off march after police meeting

Mar 10 2011 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

A LOYALIST memorial march intended to take place in Blantyre this Saturday has been called off after a special meeting with police and the council.

Organisers from Blantyre No Surrender Flute Band had applied twice for a 500-strong public procession through the town centre on Saturday, March 12.

However, on both occasions, the band withdrew their application after meeting with representatives from Strathclyde Police and South Lanarkshire Council’s licensing and registration section.

Police had expressed a number of concerns about the timing of the parade.

Liam Goodfellow, of Blantyre No Surrender Flute Band, met with officers over the application.

He told the Advertiser this week that the initial attempt at organising the parade had been stopped last year after police said that the planned 6pm start time was too late.

However, after agreeing an earlier time of 4.30pm, he said that the band were again forced to withdraw a second application after further objections from police on February 28.

A council spokesman confirmed this week that there were no objections from the public.

The march was intended to mark the 40th anniversary of the death of three Scottish soldiers – John McCaig, his brother Joseph McCaig and Donald McCaughey – killed in Belfast during the Troubles.

The route was planned to take marchers from the war memorial in High Blantyre and towards Blantyre’s Glasgow Road, before a return to Cemetery Road.

Mr Goodfellow said: “The police weren’t keen on letting us have the march this weekend, so we are going to go back and try to arrange another date.

“To start with, they said that they were unhappy about the time of the parade, saying it was too late.

“So we agreed to go back and make another application with an earlier time on the same day.

“But when we went to meet them a second time, the police told us that they still weren’t happy about the times of the march.

“We have to go back for a meeting with Strathclyde Police, to arrange another date.

“It was quite a lot of hassle for me personally, as there were other bands taking part in the march and I had to contact them just a week before the event to let them know it was off.

“It is a lot of hard work.

“We do a lot of fundraising for veterans’ charities and I had ordered three wreaths for the event on Saturday.

“But we have to withdraw.

“We don’t want to affect our chances of having another march soon.”

He added: “I think Strathclyde Police are looking to stop a lot of marches throughout the year.”

Speaking of this weekend’s aborted march, a council spokesman said: “Following a meeting on February 28 with Strathclyde Police and the Licensing and Registration Section, the organiser decided to withdraw his notification.

“The decision to withdraw the notification is a matter solely for the organiser.

“Strathclyde Police had submitted observations in relation to the proposed parade. However, no other observations or objections were received.”

Last year, councillors took the decision to ban a Republican march through Blantyre after a report from Strathclyde Police highlighted their concerns about the proposed event.

Inspector Andy Munro, of Community Policing in Blantyre, said: “Strathclyde Police work closely with South Lanarkshire Council's Licensing and Registration Department and applicants when an application for any public procession is received.

“We provide observations based on the individual circumstances of each application, with public safety being of paramount importance at all times.

“The decision to grant any application is the responsibility of South Lanarkshire Council.”