Loyalists vandalise memorial
By Deirdre Feehan
A memorial dedicated to a Bellaghy man assassinated by the LVF has been defaced with sectarian graffiti.
Residents of the County Derry village say the memorial, erected in memory of GAA stalwart Sean Brown, was daubed with the letters UVF. As efforts were made to remove the offending slogan, one Bellaghy resident said everyone was shocked and saddened by the graffiti.
On 13 May 1997, Sean Brown, chairman of Bellaghy GAA club and from a well known sporting family, was locking up the Wolfe Tones GAA club when he was abducted. Less than an hour later, his body was discovered in nearby Randalstown beside his burning car.
Slamming the graffiti attack, Sinn Féin councillor Margaret McKenna said it was a ``sickening thing to do''.
``People are saying this man has been laid to rest and they can't even let him rest in peace. No-one could take offence at the plaque. People are worried now that this will raise tensions.''
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)