MI5 ‘offered to care for son’

A West Belfast man has said that after years of harassment by the PSNI police, he is now being harassed by British military intelligence.

Alex McCrory says he is regularly harassed by the PSNI, having been stopped and searched up to 24 times this year alone. But he claims things have taken a more sinister turn with calls from MI5 now being made to his home.

The former political prisoner says he is growing concerned for the safety of his family after his son was mentioned by name in one of the phone calls.

“There have been four calls in total,” said Alex. “The first was a year and a half ago and was made to my mobile, the man told me to save his number. When I asked who he was, he described himself as ‘a friend in need’ and that he would be in touch. The same thing happened again soon after.

“Nothing more came of it until three months ago when a call was made to my house phone, it was from a man with an upper class English accent calling himself Harry. He described himself as a person working for MI5 and said he was keen to meet me. I told him to get stuffed and hung up.

“Then last Thursday during a stop and search, my son witnessed me getting into an altercation with the cops. Later that afternoon I get a call from this person Harry saying he wanted to speak to me about my son, he said my son is at a vulnerable age and they he could look out for him. I again told him to get stuffed.

“I view this as a veiled threat, an attempt to apply pressure on me, to recruit me, using my son as bait.”

Mr McCrory says that was has happened to him is just “the tip of the iceberg”.

“This is happening to people across the Six Counties,” he said. “I think it is important that MI5 are exposed publicly so people are made aware of what is happening here.

“My advice to anyone on the receiving end of this type of harassment is to speak to your family, a solicitor and the press.”

Urgent Appeal