§ 36. Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Minister of State for Defence what reports he has of an incident which took place at approximately 2 a.m. on 16th January, 1971, on the Kasmir Road, Belfast, when two policemen were forced to leave their duty area by a military patrol headed by Sergeant Thorpe, one of the policemen having a rifle butt stuck in his back; why this incident was allowed to occur after a similar incident the night before; and if he will now condemn the action of the patrol, have Sergeant Thorpe repri- 220W manded and apologise to the policemen concerned for the treatment to which they were subjected.
§ Mr. Ian GilmourIn the early hours of 16th January a routine Army patrol of three men, of which the N.C.O. named was not a member, saw two R.U.C. constables in Kasmir Road surrounded by a menacing crowd of 40 men. The corporal commanding the patrol advised the R.U.C. constables to leave the area, at the same time making it plain to them that he could not give them any orders. At no time did the soldiers touch the constables with their hands or weapons or point a weapon at them.