Neil Lennon hung in effigy

A sectarian lynch mob, with some wearing Rangers tops, have hanged an effigy of Celtic soccer club manager Neil Lennon from a lamp-post in Antrim.

Shoppers in Castle Mall, Antrim were stunned when the mob strung up a Guy Fawkes style effigy from a lamp-post outside the High street entrance of a shopping centre.

The effigy was also reportedly taken into local pubs, where it was punched, kicked and spat on during Celtic’s game against Motherwell. After the game, which Celtic won, it was taken the short distance into the town centre and strung up in full view of locals.

One witness, who wished to remain anonymous said, “It was like a white boiler suit which had been stuffed and dressed in a Celtic kit. They had blown up a balloon and stuck a picture of Neil Lennon’s face to it.”

Alderman Bobby Loughran has called for an end to the ‘concerted campaign of terror’ orchestrated against the Lurgan-born Celtic manager. With the latest act of terror, deemed a ‘Serious Hate Crime’ by Loughran and called on Police to take immediate action.

Unionist councillor Adrian Watson, said that it was ‘unthinkable’ that any real football fan would support any kind of attack on Neil Lennon.

The amount of abusive, sectarian and vile comments and posts via social network sites and football forums in regard to Lennon has increased this football season. A season which has also seen Lennon sent death threats, parcel bombs, bullets and also been attacked by a Hearts fan, an act of violence condemned by even the British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Urgent Appeal